LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 
SANTA   CRUZ 


ROBERT  LEWIS  WARING 


AS  WE  SEE  IT 


By 

ROBERT  L.  WARING 


McQrath  Publishing  Company 

College  Park,  Maryland 


Reprint  McGrath  Publishing  Company  1969 
Library  of  Congress  Catalog  Card  Number:  77-76122 


Manufactured  in  the  United  States  of  America 
by  Arno  Press,  Inc.,  New  York 


COPYRIGHT.  1910,  BY 
ROBERT  L.  WARING 


WO 


A. 


TO  THOSE  NEGRO  MEN  WHO 
DARE  DEFEND  THE  WOMAN- 
HOOD  OF  THEIR  RACE. 

—THE  AUTHOR. 


AS  WE  SEE  IT 


FORWARD 

T7NASMUCH  as  the  title  to  this  work,  "As  We  See  It," 
may  be  a  little  obscure,  I  offer  the  following  explanation 
for  its  adoption: 

Books  upon  books  have  been  written  on  the  Negro  question, 
but  none  have  told  the  story  as  "We"  see  it.  By  "We"  I 
mean  the  educated  Negroes,  those  of  cultured  families  of  the 
third  and  fourth  generations,  those  Negroes  who  see  things 
as  other  men  of  their  mental  caliber  see  them,  who  feel  the 
sting  of  race  prejudice  most  keenly,  and  at  whom  the 
damnable  laws  of  the  South  are  aimed.  In  the  books  that 
have  been  written  the  "Jim  Crow  Nigger"  is  always  in 
evidence  and  is  always  a  welcome  and  fit  companion  for 
those  who  father  the  "Jim  Crow  Law"  industry. 

This  work  is  intended  to  reveal  two  sides  of  Southern  life, 
which  are  carefully  obscured,  intentionally  avoided  or  delib- 
erately misstated  my  newspaper  and  magizine  writers. 

First,  in  this  story  we  picture  that  class  of  Negroes  who 
are  doing  something,  whose  lives,  homes  and  successes  are 
the  same  as  those  of  other  men,  and  who,  starting  from 
nothing,  have  in  fifty  years  accumulated  in  the  aggregate 
more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars  worth  of 
property.  These  people  compose  that  class  of  American 
citizens  whom  the  calamity  howlers  are  careful  to  keep  in  the 
background,  and  whom  the  Southern  press  persist  in  misrepre- 
senting even  to  the  point  of  malicious  lying. 

Second,  we  aim  to  represent,  in  their  true  character, 
another  class,  lower,  both  morally  and  mentally,  than  the 
Negro.  These  people,  the  "crackers"  of  the  South,  marry  in 


6 


and  out  of  families  closely  connected,,  first  cousin  to  first 
cousin,  great  uncle  to  niece,  step-brother  to  step-sister,  brother 
to  brother's  wife,  father  to  step-daughter,  adult  men  to 
thirteen-year-old  girls,  etc.  These  marriages  may  account 
for  their  degeneracy  more  certainly  than  the  newly  discovered 
hook  worm.  They  can  boast,  and  do  boast,  of  being  of  the 
fourth  and  fifth  generation  of  those  who  can  neither  read 
nor  write.  They  have  an  utter  disregard  for  the  property 
rights  or  lives  of  other  men,  although  this  is  seldom  com- 
mented upon  by  writers.  This  Southern  "cracker"  is  not 
multiplying  as  his  birth  rate  would  indicate,  for  his  offspring 
dies  in  great  numbers  in  early  babyhood  owing  to  a  lack  of 
intelligent  care,  and  many  older  children  die  in  large 
numbers  because  of  the  lax  enforcement  of  the  child  labor 
laws.  These  people,  the  "crackers"  of  the  South,  who  today 
hold  that  section  in  political  thraldom,  and  whose  uplift, 
through  education  or  the  infusion  of  live  blood,  is  the  only 
possible  means  left  the  white  people  of  the  South  by  which 
they  can  hope  to  keep  ahead  of  the  progressive  Negro,  present 
the  true  problem  of  the  South.  .So  long  as  the  discriminatory 
laws  remain  in  force  in  the  South,  just  so  long  will  the 
Negroes,  as  a  whole,  continue  to  outstrip  the  whites,  as  a 
whole.  Every  intelligent  Negro  who  is  doing  something,  and 
who  reads  of  what  his  brothers  are  doing,  knows  that  he  is 
leaving  the  Southern  white  man  far  behind.  The  "cracker" 
knows  this  also. 

To  illustrate:  Was  there  ever  a  large  business  of  any 
character,  a  store,  a  bank,  an  insurance  company,  a  school, 
college,  or  what  not,  organized,  built  up,  controlled  by  a  man 
or  woman  who  sprang  from  the  "cracker"  element  of  this 
country?  Hundreds  of  such  enterprises  are  owned  and  con- 
trolled by  Negroes  who  were  slaves.  This  non-progressive 
citizen  is,  however,  held  up  to  the  world  not  in  his  true  light, 
as  a  worthless  trouble  seeker,  a  veritable  cancer  eating  into 
the  vitals  of  the  body  politic  by  his  "God-given  right"  (?)  to 


vote,  but  as  a  poor,  struggling  white  man  whose  chances  for 
gaining  a  livelihood  are  curtailed  by  the  presence  of  thrifty 
Negroes  who  are  bent  on  removing  the  bar  to  their  manhood, 
placed  there  by  the  State. 

These  things,  which  should  be  apparent  to  all  persons 
educated  in  American  schools,  and  also  to  those  who  observe 
the  trend  of  American  ideas,  are  ever  before  the  educated 
Negro.  But,  even  with  conditions  as  they  now  are,  and  the 
Negro  moving  along  the  lines  he  is  pursuing,  the  time  is  not 
far  distant  when  a  change  will  come  over  the  land.  The 
popularity  of  the  doctrine  of  rope  and  torch  for  the  Negro 
is  on  the  wane;  the  apostles  of  that  doctrine  have  been  rele- 
gated to  the  rear.  New  ideas,  more  progressive,  have  taken 
hold  on  the  popular  mind. 

In  a  few  more  generations  the  Negro  will  be  a  man, 
thoroughly  trained,  a  true  American,  ready  and  willing,  as 
he  has  ever  been,  to  fight  and  to  die  for  the  flag  that  now 
protects'  him— NOT. 


AS  WE  SEE  IT 

CHAPTER  I. 

BOUT  the  year  eighteen  hundred  seventy  six,  in  a 
beautiful  section  of  the  old  State  of  Alabama,  there 
sat  upon  the  large  and  commodious  veranda  of  an 
old  Southern  home  in  the  golden  twilight  of  a  perfect  sunset, 
two  old  friends,  whose  friendship  was  of  life-long  standing, 
who  were  alike  in  many  respects,  but  yet  essentially  different. 

One  a  white  man  and  owner  of  the  place,  the  other  an 
aged  Negro,  of  the  old  school,  were  smoking  in  perfect 
harmony,  the  white  man,  a  meerschaum  pipe  of  queer  work- 
manship and  of  great  age,  having  been  in  his  family  for 
three  generations,  the  Negro  the  old  corncob  pipe  so  common 
among  Negroes  of  that  day. 

"Go  to  College?  What  the  darn-nation  good  would  that 
do?  Why,  the  time  is  not  come  for  'niggers'  to  be  educated 
like  white  men.  I  tell  you,  Abe,  I  shall  not  agree  to  any 
such  d —  nonsense." 

"Yes,  sar,  dat  what  you  say  I  guess  am  true  when  it 
comes  to  ole  'niggers'  like  us,  but  what  you  'goin'  do  wid 
a  boy  lek  my  Abe?  Ise  hear'n  you  say  when  dat  boy's  no 
mor'n  twelve  yeahs  ole  dat  he  war  de  smartes'  boy,  white 
or  black,  dat  war  ebber  on  dis  hyar  place.  Ise  de  fifth  Abe 
Overley,  black,  dat  war  bred  an'  bornd  on  dis  hyar  place. 
Yuse  de  fifth  Abe  Overley,  white.  Yuse  seventy-two,  Ise 
seventy-two;  yo'  Abe's  nineteen,  mine's  nineteen;  yo'  Abe's 
de  sixth  white,  my  Abe's  de  sixth  black;  yo'  Abe  an'  my 
Abe  was  teached  by  the  same  'oman  at  the  same  time,  den 
de  man  come  an'  dey  is  both  ready  to  go  to  College.  Now, 
what  yo'  goin'  do?  Yo'  boy's  weak,  my  boy's  strong.  You 
war  weak,  I  war  strong.  Could  you  git  'long  widouten  me? 
Yo'  Abe  need  my  Abe,  my  Abe  need  yo'  Abe." 

9 


10  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

"Yes,  Abe,  but  don't  you  know  that  these  are  different 
times?  That  your  Abe  and  my  Abe  cannot  get  along  in 
College  as  they  do  here?  White  men  do  not  sleep  with 
'niggers'  at  the  big  Colleges.  Times  have  changed." 

"Yes,  Ise  hear'n  dat  de  times  am  changed,  but  de  hearts 
ob  true  men  never  change.  Does  yo'  think  dat  Abe  Overley, 
sixth,  white,  will  ever  turn  his  back  on  Abe  Overley,  sixth, 
black?  My  Abe  say  he  want  to  go  to  College  to  be  a  lawyer, 
why  he  not?  He  go  to  Sunday  School  an'  teach  dem  young 
'niggers'  ebery  Sunday,  an'  Miss  Annie  Godly  she  say  dat 
she  can't  git  'long  widouten  him." 

"Oh,  yes;  that  is  a  sure  indication  he  will  make  a  good 
lawyer.  Who  is  going  to  pay  for  his  schooling?" 

"Why,  who  pay  for  his  ticket  to  de  Fair  las'  fall?  Sho' 
yo'  Abe  he  pay  for  hit." 

* '  H —  and  damnation !  You  ole  fool,  don 't  you  know  that 
it  would  cost  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  for  his  schooling? 
What  have  you  got,  or  has  Abe  got,  to  pay  five  hundred 
dollars  with?" 

"I  could  sell  my  ole  mule,  an'  Baldy,  dat  would  bring 
something." 

"Why,  Abe,  you  have  no  more  sense  in  that  old  black 
pate  of  yours  than  that  d —  old  kicking  mule.  Who  would 
buy  the  beast?  I  said  five  hundred  dollars,  not  fifty  cents. 
Do  you  know  the  difference?  Now,  who  will  pay  the 
money  ? ' ' 

Abe  replied  with  great  solemnity: 

"When  yo'  mammy  die,  she  take  our  hands  an'  she  put 
dem  togedder,  an'  she  say:  'You  two  Abes  mus'  al'ays  be 
friends,  no  matter  what  de  world  say.'  You  say,  'Yes,' 
I  say,  'Yes.'  When  yo'  wife  die,  she  do  like  Miss  Miranda. 
She  say  to  you  an'  she  say  to  me,  and  to  yo'  Abe  an'  to 
my  Abe:  'You  mus'  al'ays  be  friends  an'  honor  each  odder'; 
dat  was  inor'n  eighteen  yeahs  ago.  Who  been  yo'  Abe's 
mammy  eber  since?  How  many  times  when  yo'  Abe,  weak 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  11 

an'  sick,  habe  he  crowded  my  Abe  from  he  own  mammy's 
breast?  Dey  sho'  mus'  go  through  dis  world  togedder." 

"Abe,  you  are  a  cunning  old  'nigger.'  I  cannot  forget 
these  things.  But  conditions  are  not  like  they  were  in  the 
old  days.  The  Old  Homestead  is  mortgaged,  and  the  crops 
are  getting  worse  each  year,  and  every  d —  'nigger'  on  the 
place  is  talking  about  going  to  College.  What  am  I  to  do 
in  the  next  year  or  two?  This  dirty  sneak,  Lashum,  holds 
the  mortgage  and  he  wants  to  live  on  the  place  where  the 
hound  used  to  boss  the  'niggers,'  and  I  hear  that  that  whelp 
of  his  wants  to  go  to  College,  too.  What  is  this  world  coming 
to,  'niggers'  and,  worse,  poor  whites,  talking  of  going  to 
College  and  being  lawyers  and  doctors?" 

It  was  early  in  the  year  eighteen  seventy-six  that  these  old 
friends,  both  of  the  royal  blood,  the  kind  that  never  knows  a 
friend  but  as  a  friend,  and  never  breakc  from  a  friendship 
but  in  death,  were  thus  engaged  in  a  warm  discussion  as  to 
the  future  of  their  sons. 

A  word  as  to  the  place  where  we  find  these  representatives 
of  their  respective  races,  and  as  to  who  and  what  they  are. 

About  the  year  seventeen  hundred  and  two  there  came  to 
this  country  a  sturdy  Scotch  family,  consisting  of  father, 
mother  and  three  sons,  possessing  nothing  but  their  vigorous 
bodies  and  a  strong  determination  to  get  along  in  this  new 
world.  After  many  wanderings  and  hardships,  they  selected 
this  spot  in  Alabama,  upon  which  they  settled  and  built  their 
ancestral  home,  and  upon  which  we  find  them.  They  did  not 
belong  to  the  people  who  ' '  gloried  in  the  Holy  ( ? )  Institution 
of  Slavery,"  but,  owning  slaves,  they  made  their  burdens  as 
light  as  possible. 

When  the  great  War  of  the  Eebellion  came  on  the  Overleys 
were  not  eager  to  join  their  neighbors  in  their  cause ;  so,  as  a 
consequence,  they  lived  under  suspicion,  and  were  in  constant 
dread  lest  they  should  be  assassinated  or  burned  out  by  the 


12  AS     WE    SEE    IT. 

poor  whites  who  were  in  those  days  just  as  they  are  today, 
ignorant,  idle  and  vicious. 

The  Rebellion  finally  ended,  leaving  this  family  with  its 
ancestral  home  intact,  but  much  reduced  in  wealth,  all  of  the 
stock  and  animals  of  value  having  been  carried  away  by  bands 
of  patriotic  ( ?)  rebels  for  use  at  the  front. 

Abe  Overley  came  of  a  stock  of  nature's  noblemen.  He  was 
tall,  straight,  broad  of  shoulder,  strong  limbed,  good  featured 
and  very  black — a  typical  African — but  the  kind  of  man  that 
inspires  trust  and  confidence  at  a  glance. 

Abe's  parents  for  four  generations  had  enjoyed  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  the  Overleys.  The  first  Abe  was  bought 
by  one  of  the  first  Overleys  at  a  public  auction,  he  being  sold 
because  he  was  considered  an  intractable  "nigger,"  having 
refused  to  be  whipped  by  the  overseer  of  the  plantation  upon 
which  he  lived.  It  was  said  that  Abe  was  stolen  and  brought 
to  this  country  and  sold  in  slavery.  His  wild  and  independent 
spirit  was  never  broken. 

Overley  saw  at  a  glance  what  the  trouble  was.  As  soon  as 
he  had  closed  his  bargain  he  took  the  manacles  off  Abe's  arms 
and  said:  "Abe,  you  are  to  be  my  right-hand  man.  Can  I 
trust  you  ? ' '  After  a  long  and  searching  glance,  Abe  replied : 
"You  can  always  trust  me;  but  you  nor  no  living  man  shall 
whip  me/' 

"Abe,  I  do  not  whip  my  people." 

This  bond  was  never  broken. 

Before  the  Rebellion  the  Overleys  had  an  overseer  whose 
name  was  Lashum,  Nick  Lashum,  a  long,  gaunt,  typical 
Alabama  "cracker,"  whose  father,  grandfather  and  great- 
grandfather before  him  were  overseers,  and  who  never  aspired 
to  anything  higher.  This  man's  sole  ambition  was  satisfied 
when  he  became  known  as  Malcolm  A.  Overley 's  overseer. 

When  the  war  came  on  it  soon  began  to  be  whispered  about 
the  State  that  Nick  Lashum  was  engaged  by  the  Confederate 
Government  to  press  animals  and  stock  of  all  kinds  into 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  13 

service,  for  the  good  of  the  cause.  There  appears  to  be  no 
doubt  that  he  " pressed  the  animals  into  service,"  but,  accord- 
ing to  the  whisperers,  he  did  not  or  was  not  able,  owing  to 
the  ''press  of  business,"  to  account  for  hundreds  of  them.  It 
was  even  whispered  that  numerous  droves  of  cattle  gathered 
by  him  found  their  way  to  the  Union  lines,  much  to  his  profit. 

However,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  this  individual  found 
himself  so  well  supplied  with  ready  cash  that  he  concluded 
to  buy  a  large  plantation  and  settle  upon  it  and  live  as  a 
capitalist  and  planter  should.  What  place  should  he  buy? 
There  was  but  one  place  in  all  the  State  of  Alabama  which 
suited  him,  that  was  the  home  of  his  former  employer, 
Malcolm  A.  Overley.  But  this  place  was  not  for  sale.  The 
adjoining  plantation  was,  however,  so  he  acquired  this  place 
and  moved  upon  it. 

Mr.  Nick  Lashum  was  a  man  of  family,  a  large  and  growing 
family,  a  growth  peculiar  to  this  particular  family  of  ''crack- 
ers." As  the  wealth  and  numbers  of  this  family  increased 
their  church-going  parties,  regaled  in  all  their  finery,  came 
to  be  the  sight  of  the  county,  a  sight  that  strangers  never 
failed  to  enjoy.  This  great  man, .former  overseer,  who  had 
grown  so  wealthy  in  such  a  few  years,  and  one  of  whose  sons 
was  clerk  of  the  County  Court,  and  another  about  to  be  sent 
off  to  College,  was  looked  upon  by  the  "crackers"  of  his 
section  of  the  State  as  the  man  who  was  to  lead  them  back 
to  the  good  old  times  when  a  "nigger's"  hog  was  the  property 
of  the  first  "cracker"  who  could  steal  it. 

How  fared  the  Overleys  as  the  years  sped  by?  Having 
been  left,  after  the  war,  without  stock  to  work  the  plantation — 
thanks  to  the  disinterestedness  (?)  of  Nick  Lashum — on  behalf 
of  the  cause,  and  without  farm  hands  to  work  the  crops — sav- 
ing the  strong  arm  of  Old  Abe  and  his  family — things  had  been 
going  back.  For  some  time  poor  crops,  poor  cattle,  and  only 
a  few  of  them,  had  been  the  rule,  until,  after  a  family  council, 
it  was  decided  to  mortgage  the  place  and  raise  money  enough 


14  AS    WE     SEE    IT. 

to  stock  the  plantation  as  it  was  in  the  old  days  and  begin 
again.  After  much  dickering  and  many  heartaches,  it  was 
decided  to  borrow  $5,000  from  the  Pioneer  Savings  Bank  of 
A—  -  County,  Alabama,  Nick  Lashum,  Jr.,  cashier.  Never 
once  did  Malcolm  A.  Overley  think  that  Nick  Lashum,  Sr., 
would  advance  the  money  and  hold  the  mortgage,  but  after 
it  was  all  over  Malcolm  A.  Overley  had  $4,750  and  Nick 
Lashum,  his  former  overseer,  held  him  bound  for  five  years 
for  $5,000  at  8  per  cent.  This  mortgage  had  eighteen  months 
to  run  when  we  find  him  discussing  the  advisability  of  sending 
his  son,  together  with  Old  Abe's  son,  North  to  College.  Old 
Abe  felt  that  his  boy  should  go  to  College  with  the  white  boy. 
After  long  and  deep  thought  Old  Abe,  with  intense  feeling, 
spoke : 

"I  thought  when  I  stan'  by  de  bedside  of  yo'  mammy,  an' 
she  place  our  han's  togedder  and  she  say  we  war  al'ays  to 
stick  togedder  an'  to  he'p  each  odder,  an'  when  yo'  boy's 
mammy  die  she  say  de  same  thing,  dat  we  was  to  he'p  each 
odder.  I  thought  when  dem  Yankee  sojers  come,  an'  dey  say, 
*  Old  man,  you  kin  go, '  I  say,  *  No,  I  dun  promise  his  mammy 
to  stay  an'  he'p  him  through  dis  life.'  I  thought  when  I 
teach  my  boy  he  mus '  stay  an '  he  'p ;  I  thought  when  I  tell 
dem  odder  'niggers,'  Joe  an'  he  'oman,  Jack  an'  he  'oman, 
an'  Cleo  an'  her  gals,  to  stay,  dat  I  was  doin'  my  duty,  dat  I 
was  keppin'  my  word  to  de  daid.  Ise  worked  on  dis  ole 
plantation  well  nigh  seventy-two  yeahs,  and  Ise  good  for 
twenty  mo',  but  never  did  I  tink  dat  de  time  would  ebber 
come  when  de  Overley  would  break  he  word." 

After  Old  Abe  had  delivered  himself  of  his  speech  there 
was  a  long,  deep  silence.  Finally  it  was  broken  by  Malcolm 
A.  Overley,  with  a  voice  trembling  with  emotion: 

"Abe,  you  old  black  fool,  who  has  broken  word  with  you? 
I  said,  I  do  not  see  where  the  money  is  coming  from.  That 
d —  hound's  mortgage  is  due  in  eighteen  months,  and  I 
haven't  the  money  to  pay  it.  He  will  surely  sell  me  out. 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  15 

Now,  what  shall  I  do:  take  this  money  and  send  the  boys  to 
College  or  pay  this  mortgage  ? ' ' 

Old  Abe  answered  solemnly: 

"Send  de  boys  to  College,  an'  trus'  in  de  Lawd." 

' '  Trust  in  the  Lord !  That  is  all  you  '  niggers '  think  about. 
You  had  better  learn  to  trust  in  yourselves.  However,  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  that  both  boys  shall  go  to  Oberlin  College. 
You  can  tell  that  boy  of  yours  that  he  can  go  with  my  boy 
when  he  leaves  for  College  this  fall,  but  I  want  all  the  work 
done  on  the  place  before  they  go." 

"Thank  God!"  said  Old  Abe;  "I  know'd  dat  yo'  heart  is 
in  de  same  place  dat  all  de  rest  of  de  Overleys  is." 

As  a  fit  finale  to  this  discussion,  Mammy  Cleo  blew  three 
shrill  blasts  on  the  supper  horn. 

Soon  the  field  hands  are  coming  in,  as  is  evidenced  by  the 
vocal  sounds  of  melody  that  float  soothingly  to  the  ears  of  the 
two  old  friends.  First  to  come  through  the  yard  to  the  great 
house  is  a  tall  youth,  with  a  delicate  face,  lit  up  with  clear 
blue  eyes,  with  a  well-formed  head,  covered  with  thick  light 
hair,  which  hung  about  his  ears  in  ringlets,  the  face,  head  and 
carriage  of  the  man  of  good  blood  and  breeding.  This  youth 
was  Abe,  sixth,  white.  He  took  a  seat  on  the  floor  of  the 
veranda,  leaning  his  back  against  a  post,  looked  up  at  his 
father  and  laughingly  inquired:  "Why,  dad,  what  is  the 
matter?  Have  you  and  Uncle  Abe  been  quarreling  over  the 
stock  or  over  some  passage  in  the  Bible,  or  what?" 

* '  No,  we  have  not.  That  old  fool  thinks  I  ought  to  send  his 
Abe  to  College  with  you  this  fall,"  answered  the  parent. 

"Why,  dad,  I  think  he  is  perfectly  right.  Abe  ought  to  go 
to  College;  he  certainly  deserves  it." 

At  that  moment  a  tall  young  Negro  of  manly  appearance, 
a  perfect  counterpart  of  Old  Abe,  came  up  to  the  veranda  and 
sat  down.  He  also  observed  the  faces  of  the  old  men. 

"Why,  dad,  what  is  the  matter?"  he  exclaimed.     "Have 


16  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

you  and  Mr.  Overley  disagreed  again  on  some  point  in  the 
Bible,  or  some  point  in  farming?" 

"No,  d —  your  black  hide,"  spoke  up  Overley,  Sr. ;  "we 
have  disagreed  on  you." 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  me?  Have  I  not  done  my 
work  well  ever  since  I  have  been  old  enough  to  work  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  d —  your  work!  I  wish  I  could  find  some  fault  in 
that  line.  This  old  fool  insists  that  I  pay  $500  a  year  for 
your  schooling,  until  you  get  through  College,  that  is  what 
I  mean." 

For  several  moments  there  was  nothing  said  by  any  of  the 
four  friends.  Finally,  the  younger  Overley  said: 

"Father,  if  the  money  is  not  to  be  had,  let  us  fix  it  this 
way.  Let  Abe  here  go  the  first  year,  and  I  will  stay  home 
and  keep  up  the  place.  The  next  year  he  will  keep  up  the 
place  and  I  will  go.  He  can  give  me  the  benefit  of  what  he 
has  learned  when  he  comes  home. ' ' 

Abe  protests  that  the  white  boy  is  entitled  to  the  first  year, 
but  Overley,  Sr.,  cut  the  discussion  short  by  announcing  that 
he  had  determined  that  both  boys  should  go  to  College 
together;  therefore  he  didn't  want  any  more  "d —  talk." 

Both  boys  then  moved  away  to  the  corn  crib,  their  favorite 
resort,  to  talk  the  matter  over. 

"Abe,"  says  the  black  boy,  "your  father  is  a  mighty  good 
man  to  spend  all  that  money  on  me." 

"Yes,  but  you  and  Uncle  Abe  have  been  mighty  good  to  us. 
What  would  we  have  done  after  the  war  had  your  father  left 
us,  or  had  he  said  to  the  rest  of  the  people,  '  Let  us  go  North  ? ' 
We  would  have  been  left  without  help  or  hope.  He  remem- 
bers how  Uncle  Abe  and  the  rest  worked  for  five  years  without 
being  paid  one  penny,  and " 

"Yes,  but  your  father  has  paid  us  in  full,  paid  every 
penny,"  interrupted  the  black  boy. 

"Yes,  but  off  of  whose  labor?" 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  17 

"No  matter,  he  has  paid  up.  Where  in  all  this  State  will 
you  find  another  white  man,  who,  having  had  twenty-three 
colored  people  working  for  him  for  five  years,  without  pay, 
would  have  paid  them  one  cent?  Very,  very  few.  Your 
father  mortgaged  his  plantation.  If  he  had  not  paid  us  he 
would  not  have  had  that  to  do.  No,  Abe,  he  is  a  mighty 
good  man." 

''Yes,"  says  the  white  boy,  "he  is  a  dear  old  dad;"  then 
adds:  "Say,  Abe,  didn't  he  cuss — Well!  So  we  are  to  go  to 
school  together?" 

"  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know ;  what  College  are  we  going  to  ? " 

"Oberlin  College." 

"That  is  the  one  College  in  this  country  that  I  want  to 
go  through.  They  say  they  do  not  know  color  there.  Just 
to  think  of  anyone  failing  to  see  whether  I  am  white  or 
black!"  and  both  boys  laughed  heartily. 

* '  Say,  Abe, ' '  the  white  boy  said,  ' '  I  hear  that  Buck  Lashum 
is  to  go  to  College  this  fall." 

"What  College?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  answered  the  white  boy. 

'  *  Well,  we  must  not  let  him  know  what  College  we  are  going 
to  attend,  nor  that  I  am  going  with  you." 

"Why,  Abe,  what  difference  does  that  make?" 

"Well,  I  must  say  that  I  feel  it  would  be  better  to  keep 
our  plans  from  him  until  we  are  gone,  at  any  rate." 

"Abe,  you  will  see  what  will  happen  to  him  if  he  has 
anything  to  say  to  me  about  your  going.  I  haven't  forgotten 
the  thrashing  you  gave  him  when  he  tried  to  force  himself 
on  my  sister  Lucy  when  you  drove  her  to  Deaconsville  to  the 
camp  meeting  last  fall,"  laughed  the  white  boy.  "His  black 
eyes  were  such  beauties,  and  they  lasted  so  long.  Say,  but 
dad  forgot  his  rheumatism  when  he  was  told  what  happened. 
When  they  told  him  that  the  sheriff  had  put  you  in  the 
cababoose  for  licking  Buck  Lashum  for  insulting  Sister  Lucy, 
gee!  how  he  ran  to  the  harness  room,  and  got  a  saddle  and 


18  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

bridle,  and  ran  to  the  field,  and  got  Old  Ben,  and  such  cussing 
and  riding  you  never  heard  nor  saw.  I,  on  Nell,  kept  as 
close  to  him  as  I  could,  but  Old  Ben  seemed  to  be  cussing 
mad,  too,  for  I  never  saw  that  old  horse  go  so  fast  before. 
Didn't  the  whole  Lashum  family  fall  back  when  they  saw 
him  coming?  And  didn't  the  sheriff  get  you  out  of  the  pen 
mighty  quick?  But,  poor  Buck  was  a  sight,  and  Mr.  Nick 
Lashum,  how  he  made  excuses  for  Buck.  But  dad  wouldn't 
listen,  and  wanted  to  lick  the  whole  family.  Abe,  you  must 
have  soaked  him  some  good  ones.  Dad  was  talking  about 
that  fellow  to  us  last  night,  saying  he  would  just  as  leave  be 
kicked  by  Uncle  Abe's  old  mule  as  for  you  to  hit  him.  Now, 
I  know  that  those  Lashums,  and  particularly  Buck,  do  not 
like  you,  Abe;  but  I  can't  see  why  we  should  care.  A  poor 
white  man,  Abe,  is  no  good." 

"Yes,  yes,"  says  the  black  boy,  "I  know  that,  but  you 
cannot  view  a  poor  white  man,  a  'cracker,'  from  the  same 
viewpoint  that  I  do.  Compared,  Abe,  with  the  race  of  white 
men  that  you  and  your  family  belong  to,  the  * cracker'  sinks 
away  below  any  living  thing.  He  is  meaner  and  dirtier  than 
any  reptile  that  creeps  on  the  face  of  the  earth  or  swims  in 
the  water  beneath  the  earth.  There  is  nothing  too  mean  and 
low  for  him  to  do  to  a  Negro — Pshaw!  What  is  the  use  of 
discussing  a  'cracker,'  anyhow?  The  question  that  concerns 
me  most  just  now  is  what  will  we  need  to  take  with  us  when 
we  go  off  to  College. ' ' 

"I  don't  know,"  said  the  white  boy;  "let  us  ask  father;  he 
has  been  to  College. ' ' 


CHAPTER  II. 

)R  the  benefit  of  my  readers  who  are  not  familiar  with 
the  Alabama  ' '  crackers ' '  I  will  give  an  historical  sketch 
of  the  Lashum  family,  that  they  may  draw  their  own 
conclusion.  This  family  dates  back  to  the  last  years  of  the 
war  for  independence;  at  least,  that  is  the  time  of  the  first 
record  which  the  State  has  of  its  existence.  The  following 
can  be  found  in  the  Western  Bulletin,  Monday,  September  12, 
1709: 

"Nick  Lashum,  who  lives  in  a  log  cabin  on  a  small  clearing 
in  Foggy  Bottom,  on  Mars  Creek,  was  taken  out  of  his  cabin 
by  a  Vigilance  Committee  and  given  nine  and  thirty  lashes  on 
his  bare  back. 

"It  appears  that  the  Indians  have  been  drinking  and  caus- 
ing a  great  deal  of  trouble  lately.  The  source  of  their  supply 
of  whiskey  could  not  be  ascertained.  It  was  at  last  determined 
by  the  Vigilance  Committee  to  search  Foggy  Bottom,  where 
a  few  disreputable  'crackers'  have  squatted.  The  search 
revealed  the  fact  that  Nick  Lashum  was  making  corn  whiskey 
and  trading  it  to  the  Indians  in  his  neighborhood.  The 
search  also  revealed  the  further  fact  that  Nick  Lashum  was 
the  leader  of  a  gang  of  moonshiners  who  were  making  corn 
whiskey  and  trading  it  to  the  Indians  and  Negroes  in  all  the 
lower  counties  of  the  State. 

"Nick  Lashum  and  his  confederates  will  be  tried  at  the 
next  Quarter  Session  of  Court  and  are  likely  to  get  long  terms 
in  the  penitentiary. ' ' 

Thus  the  Lashums  are  ushered  into  the  limelight  of  history. 
No  mention  is  made  of  what  finally  became  of  this  Nick 
Lashum,  but  tradition  has  it  that  he  came  back  from  the 
penitentiary  to  his  old  haunts  and  resumed  his  old  habits 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  was  hastened  by  a  Vigilance 
Committee  after  Nick  had  been  caught  with  some  cattle  upon 
which  the  brand  had  been  changed.  This  man  appears  to 

19 


20  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

have  been  the  progenitor  of  this  race  of  Lashum,  many  of 
whom  proved  to  be  worthy  of  their  sire. 

The  Nick  Lashum  of  this  sketch  was  a  long,  gaunt,  lean 
"cracker"  with  a  thin,  sharp  face,  lit  up  by  a  pair  of  small 
gray  eyes  full  of  low  cunning  and  treachery,  that  never  looked 
you  in  the  face.  His  head  was  topped  off  by  a  crop  of  thin 
stringy  hair,  that  was  entirely  unused  to  care.  His  garments, 
which  were  gray  in  color,  might  have  been  homespun  or 
anything  else,  and  hung  in  loose  flaps  about  his  person,  the 
trousers  ( ?)  stuffed  into  ragged  cowhide  boots. 

This  gentleman,  a  typical  ' '  cracker ' '  overseer,  having  heard 
that  Malcolm  A.  Overley  wanted  an  overseer,  owing  to  the 
death  of  Pete  Quickly,  who  had  served  the  Overleys  for 
twenty-five  years,  betook  himself  to  the  Overley  plantation  to 
apply  for  the  position. 

With  much  fear  and  many  misgivings  he  finally  mustered 
up  courage  enough  to  pass  the  portals  of  the  big  gate  and 
make  his  way  to  the  great  house,  where  he  expected  to  find  the 
master.  As  Nick  neared  the  house  he  removed  his  hat  and 
walked  slowly  up  the  gravel  path,  where  he  was  accosted  by 
Old  Abe,  who  inquired  of  him  who  he  was,  whom  he  wanted 
to  see,  and  upon  what  business. 

At  first,  Nick  was  inclined  to  feel  insulted  and  hurt  that  a 
big  black  "nigger"  should  ask  him  what  he  wanted.  But, 
upon  second  thought,  he  remembered  how  near  Old  Abe  was 
to  the  "throne,"  so  he  answered  very  civilly  that  he  wanted 
to  see  Mr.  Overley  and  wanted  the  job  of  overseer. 

After  some  thought  Abe  concluded  he  would  conduct  him 
to  his  master.  This  was  done  with  many  misgivings  as  to 
the  future,  should  he  be  selected.  Nick  was  cautioned  to  keep 
close  to  Old  Abe,  lest  the  dogs  should  attack  him,  as  they  did 
not  like  "no  po'  white  man,  nohow,"  and  to  keep  his  hat 
under  his  arm,  where  it  belonged ;  all  of  which  Nick  was  glad 
to  do ;  but  making  a  mental  vow,  however,  that  he  would  skin 
Old  Abe  if  he  succeeded  in  getting  the  place  of  overseer. 


AS    WE    SEE    IT.  21 

Turning  a  sharp  bend  in  the  path,  Nick,  without  warning, 
came  suddenly  upon  Mr.  Over-ley  and  his  family  under  the 
shade  of  a  large  tree,  and  the  sight  seemed  to  deprive  Nick 
of  power  of  speech.  He  stood  looking  at  his  ragged  boots  and 
holding  his  hands  before  him.  Mr.  Overley  sprang  to  his  feet, 
looking  first  at  Old  Abe,  then  at  Nick,  not  seeming  to  com- 
prehend the  meaning  of  the  intrusion.  At  last  he  spoke,  and 
demanded  of  Old  Abe  what  this  man  had  done,  and  why  he 
had  brought  him  there,  the  man's  demeanor  leading  him  to 
believe  that  he  had  been  trespassing.  When  he  was  told  that 
the  man  wanted  the  position  of  overseer,  Mr.  Overley  laughed 
heartily,  and  the  women  drew  close  and  examined  him  very 
attentively. 

Abe  said: 

Dis  po '  white  man  come  up  de  walk  an '  say  he  want  to  see 
you  'bout  being  yo'  oberseer.  I  say  he  kin  see  you,  but  I 
guess  he  kin  talk  for  heself,  maybe.  Say,  Mr.  Oberseer,  dat 
am  Mr.  Overley.  Kin  you  talk?  You  hab  to  talk  mor'n  dat 
to  git  work  outten  dem  '  niggers '  back  in  de  cotton  patch. ' ' 

Nick,  thus  goaded  by  Old  Abe,  finally  said : 

"Sah,  Mr.  Overley,  I  heah  thet  Old  Pete  was  gone  an'  daid, 
an '  that  you  war  in  need  of  a  man  to  look  arter  yo '  '  niggers. ' 
My  'oman  she  say  you  mought  take  me  on,  in  Old  Pete 's  place. 
I  Ve  been  hankerin '  arter  yuse  job  for  a  long  time,  sah. ' ' 

1  'Well, — you  have,  have  you?  Where  did  you  work  last, 
and  why  did  you  leave  ? ' ' 

"I  worked  for  Mr.  Jim  Connors,  down  on  the  bottom  in 
Grove  Neck.  He  sol'  all  his  'niggers'  an'  gone  'way.  He 
never  did  lek  plantation  life.  He  gin  me  one  'nigger,'  but  I 
couldn  't  feed  him,  so  I  took  an '  sol '  him.  He  was  as  no  count 
'nigger'  as  you  ever  see;  couldn't  git  him  to  do  nothin'.  Sell 
a  bad  'nigger,'  sah,  same  as  you  sell  a  bad  hoss." 

"I  have  no  bad  'niggers,'  neither  have  I  any  bad  horses; 
all  my  people  are  happy  and  content.  I  am  afraid  you  would 


22  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

cause  them  to  become  dissatisfied.  What  do  you  want  per 
year  ? ' ' 

"Mr.  Jim  gin  me  $180  a  yeah  an'  house  an'  ten  acres,  the 
house  free.  I  git  along  on  that  very  well,  sah." 

"Well,  you  can  see  me  in  two  days." 

"Yes,  sah;  my  'oman  she  say " 

"That  is  all,  sir;  you  may  see  me  in  two  days.  Abe,  see 
that  the  dogs  do  not  molest  him." 

Nick,  with  his  hat  still  under  his  arm,  bowed  most  pro- 
foundly and  turned  to  leave  by  the  path  through  which  he 
came. 

Old  Abe  called  to  him,  saying : 

"Come  dis  way,  white  man.  Dem  dorgs  will  eat  you  up 
down  dat  path  by  yo'sef.  What  you  go  dat  way  for,  nohow? 
You  mus '  tink  yo '  Mars  Jim  Corners.  De  nex '  time  yo '  come 
heah  yo'  come  in  de  way  I  am  now  showin'  yo'  out.  If  dem 
dorgs  had  seed  yo'  fust — well,  dey  don't  like  yo'  kin'  people, 
nohow. ' ' 

"It  strikes  me,  Abe,  yuse  a  mighty  peart  ' nigger.'  I  sup- 
pose yuse  is  boss  heah  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  Ise  de  boss  of  dis  house,  an'  dem  stables,  an'  dat 
garden  patch,  an'  all  dem  chickens  an'  fowls — yo'  dunno  dat, 
does  yo'?" 

' '  Oh,  I  tink  it  war  somethin '  like  that — yuse  welcome. ' ' 

By  this  time  their  walk  had  led  them  to  the  barnyard,  out 
of  which  a  lane  ran  through  the  cornfield  to  the  main  road. 
Abe's  parting  shot  was: 

"Look  out,  white  man,  for  dem  dorgs  when  yo'  come  back 
through  dis  corn  patch,  an'  git  yo'  hat  off  befo'  yo'  come 
through  dis  gate." 

"Abe,  you  kin  do  me  a  good " 

"Dat  am  all,  sah;  yo'  kin  see  me  in  two  days,"  said  Old 
Abe,  with  the  most  aggravating  composure. 

Nick  stood  for  a  moment  glaring  at  Old  Abe ;  then  he  turned 
and  walked  hurriedly  down  the  lane  toward  the  main  road. 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  23 

Owing  to  Abe's  thoughtfulness,  Nick  had  about  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  farther  to  walk  to  get  out  to  the  main  road  on  his 
way  home.  Abe  watched  Nick  until  he  passed  out  of  sight; 
then  he  laughed  and  remarked  to  himself : 

"Dat  man  goin'  raise  de  debble  on  dis  heah  place  some 
day." 

Turning  to  a  large  brindle  hound  that  watched  Nick  very 
closely  during  his  visit,  Abe  said  to  the  dog: 

"Joe,  yo'  jus'  watch  fo'  dat  po'  white  man  day  arter 
tomorrow,  an'  if  he  try  to  open  dat  gate  yo'  jes'  stop  him; 
dat 'sail." 

The  dog  seemed  to  understand  what  Abe  had  said,  for  he 
gave  Nick's  direction  a  contemptuous  glance  and  walked  away 
with  Abe. 

True  to  his  appointment,  Nick  appeared  at  the  barnyard 
gate,  hat  in  hand,  but  afraid  to  open  it,  for  there  stood  Joe 
looking  at  him  in  no  uncertain  way.  Abe  was  in  the  harness 
room  cleaning  harness  when  Joe,  by  his  growl,  let  him  know 
that  Nick  had  arrived.  Abe  looked  through  the  window  and 
saw  Nick  at  the  gate  and  resumed  his  work  as  composedly  as 
if  he  were  not  there. 

"Dat  po'  white  man  am  com';  well,  he  can  wait  or  he  can 
com'  in,  an'  Joe  an'  de  res'  of  de  dorgs  will  look  arter  him." 

After  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  Abe  appeared  at  the 
door  of  the  harness  room  and  said: 

"Man  alives,  is  dat  yo'?  I  couldn't  'magine  what  dat  dorg 
dun  saw  at  de  gate.  "Why  yo '  not  cum  in  ?  'Spec '  Mars  Abe 
cumin'  to  see  yo'  heah?  Man,  yo'  ain't  nebber  goin'  git 
'long  on  his  heah  place ;  yo '  too  slow. ' ' 

' '  I  was  af eared  of  that  dorg, ' '  said  Nick. 

"Well,  dat  dorg  he  don't  lek  no  po'  white  man,  dat  sho.' 
Cum  on  an'  see  what  Mars  Abe  goin'  say.  You  sich  a  noble 
lookin'  critter  dat  I  sho'  Massa  goin'  have  you,"  said  Abe, 
after  contemptuously  surveying  Nick's  tattered  appearance. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

next  morning  at  sunrise  both  of  the  old  men  met  at 
their  usual  place  on  the  veranda.  They  smoked  a  long 
time  in  silence,  which  was  finally  broken  by  a  remark 
from  the  owner  of  the  place. 

"Abe,  what  do  you  think  those  boys  will  want  to  do  when 
they  get  out  of  College?" 

' 1 1  guess  your  boy  will  want  to  go  to  Congress  and  my  boy 
will  he'p  dese  po'  'niggers'  git  back  som'  ob  de  Ian'  dat  has 
been  tooken  from  den  by  dat  Lashum  fambly." 

' '  That  would  be  a  good  thing  for  him  to  do ;  but  I  am  afraid 
his  hide  would  not  be  worth  a  picayune  when  he  tries  it." 

"Ise  hearn  him  say  dat,  too.  Den  he  say  dat  he  intends 
to  try,  so  he  'p  him  God,  when  he  cum  back.  Dat  boy,  he  mean 
what  he  say." 

"Well,  Abe,  what  do  you  think  of  that  boy  starting  a  legal 
fight  with  these  poor  whites?  They  are  in  control  of  the 
county  and  the  Courts  and  everything  else  that  I  know  of. 
Then,  Abe,  do  you  think  that  it  is  right  for  a  '  nigger '  to  fight 
a  white  man  ? ' ' 

"Well,  I  tell  yo',  'fore  de  war,  when  all  de  ' niggers'  'long 
to  som'body  e'se,  all  dat  I  hearn  am  dat  de  Lawd  made  a 
white  man  fus',  an'  dat  de  white  man  war  made  specially  by 
de  Lawd  to  own  an'  boss  de  'nigger.'  Den  I  belebe  dat  de 
'nigger'  jes'  natchuly  'long  to  de  white  man.  But  when  dem 
white  sojers  cum  heah  an'  lick  de  debble  outen  dese  white 
folks  an'  I  see  how  meek  an'  humble  lek  dey  cum  to  dem,  den 
I  say,  What  am  dis  ?  Am  I  right  nohow  ?  Is  dese  white  folks 
what  dey  is  cracked  up  to  be  ?  Den  I  see  dat  Lashum  fambly 
puttin'  on  airs  an'  silks — the  same  folks  dat  I  seed  'fore  de 
war  in  missus'  ole  work  apron.  Den  I  say,  What  am  dis 
world  a  cumin'  to?  But  when  I  see  all  dem  trash  fishiatin' 
'round  'lection  day  an'  havin'  all  de  say,  den  I  say  dat  de 

26 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  27 

debble  am  de  boss  arter  all,  an'  dat  de  po'  'nigger'  am  de  feed 
for  his  fire,  an'  dat  if  de  men  lek  you  an'  Mr.  Jim  Corners 
an'  Mr.  Big  Joe  Wheatly  don't  took  an'  do  somefin'  dis 
country  ain't  goin'  to  las'.  Whoever  hear'n  of  anything 
lassin'  dat  dese  po'  white  trash  does?  Does  I  tink  dat  a 
'nigger'  oughten  fight  a  white  man?  Dis  is  what  I  was 
teached.  Dat  I  was  to  'spect  a  white  man  an'  not  answer  him 
back  nor  hit  him.  But  dem  was  slavery  days.  What  de  dif- 
ference now,  I  dunno. 

"I  does  know  dat  dem  po'  white  trash  on  de  Neck  is  a 
whole  lot  wus  den  me  or  my  people  is,  an'  dat  you  an'  Mr.  Jim 
an'  Mr.  Big  Joe  is  a  mighty  sight  better 'n  dem  'niggers'  what 
gits  drunk  all  de  time  an'  hangs  'round  de  cross-roads.  But 
is  I  as  good  as  you  an'  de  res'  ob  yo'  friends?  Dat  keeps  me 
wake  ob  nights.  My  boy  he  young  an'  read  de  books.  He 
say  dat  all  men  is  bornd  ekil,  an'  dat  a  man  is  what  he  make 
heself .  He  say  dat  a  man  hab  no  right  to  say  he  am  as  good 
as  dis  one  or  dat  one,  because  he  am  a  man,  but  he  mus'  make 
heself  a  man.  He  say  dat  ebry  man  will  find  he  strata  in 
'ciety.  What  he  mean  by  dat?" 

"He  means  his  level." 

"He  say  dat  a  'nigger'  or  po'  white  man  dat  say  he  got  a 
right  to  cum  to  yo'  house  an  'cum  in  an'  set  down,  widouten 
you  ax  him  in,  am  a  fool.  Dat  what  I  tink.  I  don't  let  dem 
trashy  'niggers'  cum  to  my  house,  nor  does  yo'  'low  dem  po' 
white  trash  to  cum  heah.  But  den  I  jes'  don't  feel  dat  Ise  fit 
to  mingle  wid  yo '  gess.  No,  I  don 't  tink  so.  Now,  when  dem 
boys  cum  back  from  College,  dey  may  or  dey  may  not  be 
chums ;  but  dey  will  say  how  dey  will  treat  each  odder  at  dey 
own  house.  It  'pends  'tirely  on  who  dese  people  is.  I  tink 
dat  a  'nigger'  oughter  fight  ebry  po'  white  man  dat  don't  treat 
him  or  he  kinfolks  right.  Dat  what  yo'  an'  yo'  friends 
does." 

' '  That  is  so,  Abe ;  but  I  did  not  think  that  you  felt  that  way 
all  together." 


28  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

After  Old  Abe  had  relapsed  into  silence,  Malcolm  A.  Overley 
pondered  Abe's  remarks  for  a  long  time. 

"  What  a  change  a  few  years  have  wrought !  Old  Abe,  d— 
his  black  hide,  feels  that  he  is  almost  as  good  as  me  and  my 
friends!  He  has  doubts  on  that  score.  Well,  who  the  h— 
would  have  thought  it  ?  But  he  has  sense  enough  not  to  push 
himself.  He  holds  himself  above  the  low  'niggers'  about  here. 
He  is  looked  up  to  by  all  the  '  good  niggers '  far  and  near.  He 
is  right  to  hold  himself  above  these  d —  poor  trashy  whites,  I 
could  never  understand  why  these  poor  whites  hated  Abe  and 
his  boy  so.  I  see  now.  There  is  a  natural  antipathy  between 
the  two  classes.  Abe  and  his  kind  represent  all  that  is  honest 
and  true,  while  the  poor  whites  are  just  the  opposite.  But  can 
this  boy  afford  to  start  a  fight  with  these  people  just  at  the 
time  he  comes  out  of  College  and  with  nothing  to  live  upon? 
In  spite  of  myself,  I  can  but  admire  that  boy's  pluck  and 
spirit. 

"Well,  I  guess  I  will  come  in  for  my  share  of  trouble  for 
sending  him  off  to  College.  Why,  I  must  be  getting  babyish. 
Who  the  h —  will  dare  to  question  an  Overley  as  to  his  reason 
for  doing  what  he  thinks  proper?" 

Thus  he  smoked  and  dreamed  for  an  hour.  Suddenly  he 
exclaimed : 

' '  Abe,  you  have  changed  somewhat  in  the  past  year  or  so,  it 
seems  to  me." 

"I  don't  reckon  yo'  ever  axed  me  dat  question  befo'.  My 
boy  say  dat  dere  am  no  mo'  'niggers,'  but  all  am  'Merican 
citizens,  free  an'  ekil  befo'  de  law.  Dat  what  he  say.  Now. 
Ise  a  citizen  an'  has  de  rights.  What  1  goin'  to  let  dem  po1 
white  trash  bamboozle  me  oughten  dem  fo'?" 

"Abe,  why  do  you  continually  refer  to  the  poor  whites? 
Are  they  the  only  people  who  do  not  treat  you  right  ? ' ' 

*  *  Why,  man  alives, ' '  said  Abe,  with  wrath,  ' '  don 't  yo '  know 
dat  de  po'  white  trash  am  de  onliest  people  in  dis  whole  world 
dat  am  al'ays  hollerin'  'nigger,'  'Jim  Crow,'  'social  'quality.' 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  29 

'nigger  marrying  white  'oman, '  an '  de  debble  knows  what — all 
sich  fool  talk  dat  causes  trouble?  Dem  very  same  trash  dat 
kotches  our  likely  lookin'  gals  on  de  road  an'  drags  dem  in  de 
bushes.  Dem  de  people  dat  sees  a  hard-workin'  'nigger'  wid 
a  home,  an'  a  mule,  an'  a  'fix'  to  go  to  church  wid,  dat  gits 
up  de  mob  an'  hollers  dat  dis  ' nigger'  is  arter  he  wife  or  gal. 
Den  dey  burn  he  home,  an'  barn,  an'  take  he  life,  an'  mule, 
an'  hog,  an  'fix'  to  pay  de  damage.  Dem's  de  trash  dat 
gemmen  lek  you  an'  Mr.  Jim  an'  Mr.  Big  Joe  oughter  he'p 
us  for  to  fight.  'Fore  de  war  when  dem  same  critters  did 
steal  hogs  an'  de  lek,  yo'  all  did  ride  to  dere  cabins  an'  take 
dem  out  an'  flog  dem  on  dere  bare  backs.  Now,  dey  do  de 
same  thing  more  bold;  holler  rape,  an'  de  whole  country  is 
ridin'  an'  beatin'  ebry  'nigger'  dey  meet,  an'  if  he  owns  a 
good  hoss  dat  is  better 'n  dear'n,  dey  swops  hosses  wid  him 
whedder  he  wants  to  or  no. 

"Why,  man  alives!"  said  Old  Abe,  with  increasing  wrath, 
"dese  things  am  'nuff  to  make  a  man  bus'  wide  open,  an'  dey 
is  gettin'  wus.  When  dat  drunken  Smaly  boy  kotch  my  Sally 
Jane  on  de  road  dat  night,  when  you  an'  Mr.  Jim  hearn  her 
holler,  hit  was  a  good  ting  dat  yo'  Abe  hide  dat  gun.  I  run 
for  de  gun  fus',  but  yo'  an'  Mr.  Jim  git  dere  fus'.  I  sho' 
would  hab  killed  him. 

' '  But,  Lawdy ,  how  my  Abe  did  walk  on  him !  I  think  sho ' 
dat  de  padroller  would  git  him.  I  nebber  tol'  you  dat  it  war 
my  Abe  dat  beat  him  up  so.  No,  sah.  I  was  afraid  dat  yo' 
would  think  dat  a  'nigger'  oughten  lick  a  white  man." 

This  last  sentence  was  spoken  in  such  a  solemn  tone  that 
both  men  laughed  heartily. 

"Abe,  you  are  a  sly  old  rascal.  You  know  perfectly  well 
that  I  have  abused  your  boy  time  and  again  and  told  him  that 
he  was  a  coward  for  allowing  that  poor  white  hound  to  get  off 
without  a  thrashing.  And  you  would  not  tell  me  ?  You  told 
my  boy,  though.  I  can  now  understand  why  you  three  devils 


30  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

always  grinned  in  my  face  every  time  I  spoke  of  that  case. 
Told  my  boy,  but  would  not  tell  me.  Why  not  me  ? ' ' 

"Well,  when  dem  boys  cum  to  me  an'  Abe  tol'  me  what  he 
dun  done,  yo'  Abe  say  dat  you  better  not  know  'bout  it.  I 
say  no,  you  dun  got  'nuff  on  yo'  mind  'thout  dat.  Dat  I  war 
Abe's  daddy,  an'  dat  I  war  de  one  to  bar  de  trouble.  So  I 
say,  no,  an'  dat  end  it." 

"Well,  Abe,  that  was  very  kind  of  you.  What  you  say 
about  those  poor  white  people  has  long  been  a  source  of  worry 
for  me  and  my  friends.  Only  last  night  we  determined  to  get 
together  and  try  to  put  a  stop  to  these  deviltries.  It  will  be  a 
hard  job.  These  poor  whites  are  in  the  saddle  now;  we  have 
been  asleep  too  long,  and  they  have  taken  advantage  of  every- 
thing. We  are  going  to  try  to  stop  them  by  fair  means ;  and, 
if  not,  then  we  will  try  the  same  method  we  used  on  them 
before  the  war." 

It  appears  that  the  Negro  referred  to  in  a  previous  chapter 
as  belonging  to  Nick  Lashum — he  having  been  given  to 
Lashum  by  Mr.  Jim  Connors,  and  sold  by  Nick  as  a  worthless 
*  nigger' — had,  after  the  war,  accumulated  some  property  and 
had  a  good  home,  upon  which  he  reared  a  family  of  nine 
children,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  a  man  of  family  and  taught 
the  County  School  for  colored  children.  This  young  man  had 
a  wife  and  three  children.  He  rode  a  very  fine  colt  to  and 
from  his  school,  which  was  some  distance  from  his  home. 
There  was  but  one  other  horse  in  that  end  of  the  State  which 
could  hold  his  own  at  the  County  Fairs  with  this  colt,  and 
that  horse  belonged  to  young  Malcolm  A.  Overley.  This 
Negro's  horse  was  the  envy  of  every  poor  white  man  in  that 
section.  Often  was  the  remark  made  that  that  horse  was  too 
good  for  a  'nigger,'  and  that  he  must  have  stolen  it. 

Finally,  the  man  appeared  who  lost  (?)  the  colt,  although 
it  was  well  known  that  this  colt  was  sired  by  Malcolm  A. 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  31 

Overlay's  horse,  "Ben,"  known  all  over  the  State  by  its  color 
and  markings. 

One  warm  July  night,  while  this  old  Negro  and  his  family 
were  sitting  about  the  front  of  their  home,  a  party  of  horsemen 
were  heard  coming  down  the  road.  Nothing  was  thought  of 
that  until  the  sound  of  horses '  hoofs  was  heard  coming  up  the 
back  road  toward  the  rear  of  the  place.  Suddenly  all  sounds 
ceased;  then  a  pistol  shot  was  heard;  then  a  rush  of  horses' 
hoofs;  and  before  one  of  the  astonished  Negroes  could  gather 
his  wits  volleys  from  shotguns  and  revolvers  were  fired 
amongst  them,  killing  and  maiming  men,  women  and  children 
alike.  The  old  father,  the  young  schoolmaster  and  his  young- 
est child,  who  was  asleep  on  his  lap,  were  killed.  The  wife, 
who  was  about  to  become  a  mother,  was  trampled  to  death 
beneath  the  horses'  hoofs,  before  she  could  drag  herself  out 
of  the  way.  The  dwelling  and  barn  were  fired  in  a  dozen 
places  at  once.  Both  buildings,  together  with  their  contents, 
save  the  colt  in  question,  were  consumed. 

The  Alabama  News,  the  leading  newspaper  of  the  State  at 
that  time,  had  the  following  conservative  account  of  this 
tragedy : 

"George  Burrell,  a  Desperate  Negro,  Whose  Desperate  Deeds 
Date  Back  Before  the  War,  and  His  Son,  Who  Was 
Following  in  His  Father's  Footsteps,  and  Two  More  of 
His  Desperate  Family,  Wiped  Out  by  Sheriff  C.  Lashum 
and  a  Posse  of  Citizens. 

"It  appears  that  a  Deputy  Sheriff  went  earlier  in  the  day 
to  the  cabin  of  George  Burrell  to  replevin  the  colt  that  Burrell 
had  stolen.  The  Deputy  Sheriff  was  met  at  the  door  by 
Burrell  and  his  son,  both  armed  with  double-barrelled  shot- 
guns, and  his  life  threatened  if  he  dared  to  serve  his  papers. 

"The  Sheriff  was  notified  and  the  papers  were  served  with 
the  above  result.  It  appears  that  in  the  fight  which  ensued 
upon  the  service  of  the  papers  the  lamp  was  overturned  and 


32 


AS     WE     SEE    IT. 


the  cabin  was  soon  in  names,  which,  in  turn,  spread  to  the 
barn,  both  buildings  being  entirely  consumed. 

|*  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  a  Negro  woman  and  two  small 
children  were  trampled  upon  by  horses ;  but  the  citizens  claim 
that  the  horses  became  unmanageable  when  the  fire  started. 

"A  Coroner's  jury,  which  was  empanelled  on  the  spot, 
exonerated  the  Sheriff  and  his  Deputies,  as  it  was  clearly 
shown  that  the  Negroes  resisted  the  service  of  a  legal  paper. 

"It  will  be  well  for  the  Negroes  and  all  concerned  when 
they  learn  not  to  resist  the  law,  but  to  submit  to  the  lawful 
service  of  papers  as  white  men  do. ' ' 

This  conservative  account  of  a  most  atrocious  and  bloody 
deed  was  heralded  to  the  outside  world  as  another  example  of 
Negro  depravity,  degeneracy  and  disregard  for  the  law  and 
its  representatives.  This  paper  sent  out  this  account  without 
investigating  the  case,  and  based  its  report  upon  the  statement 
made  by  one  of  the  parties  who  participated  in  the  killing. 

The  facts  are  as  follows: 

The  party  who  sought  to  replevin  the  horse  well  knew  that 
he  could  not  maintain  the  suit,  if  it  were  presented  to  the 
Court  in  the  regular  way.  So  it  was  determined  to  put  the 
two  principal  witnesses,  the  old  Negro  and  his  son,  out  of  the 
way,  which  was  done  very  successfully.  The  finding  of  the 
Coroner's  Jury,  which  was  composed  of  members  of  the  mid- 
night marauders,  empanelled  on  the  spot,  was  not  questioned. 
The  Sheriff  was  there  with  his  papers,  and  the  Deputy  Sheriff 
who  swore  that  he  was  at  the  place  earlier  in  the  day  and  was 
met  by  the  old  Negro  father  and  son  with  guns  in  their  hands, 
was  also  there,  although,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  he  was  not  on  the 
place  prior  to  his  coming  with  the  mob,  who  were  bent  on 
killing  a  prosperous  Negro  and  his  family.  All  these  things 
were  known  to  persons  in  the  neighborhood,  but  the  machinery 
of  the  law  was  in  the  hands  of  the  murderers  and  nothing 
could  be  done.  The  attention  of  the  Governor  of  the  State 
was  called  to  the  case,  together  with  the  fact  that  what  was 
left  of  the  family  had  been  driven  from  that  section  of  the 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  33 

country  and  their  property  practically  confiscated.  The 
Governor  was  informed  by  his  special  agent,  Garrington,  that 
the  Negroes  resisted  the  lawful  service  of  a  legal  paper,  and 
that  all  the  killings  naturally  followed  the  unlawful  acts  of 
the  Negroes. 

The  loss  of  property  and  the  driving  from  home  of  helpless 
children  by  the  Lashums  was  not  gone  into.  Everything  was 
regular  and  according  to  law. 

This  outrage  is  what  brought  Malcolm  A.  Overley  and  his 
friends  together.  We  shall  see  later  what  good  was  done  by 
this  combination  of  law-abiding  white  citizens. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BOUT  one  week  after  the  boys  had  gone,  two  letters 
arrived.     Both  began : 

"Dear  Father:  We  arrived  safe  and  sound.     So 
did  Buck  Lashum." 

Each  father  instinctively  looked  at  the  other,  and  read  the 
other's  thoughts.  Each  felt  that  this  announcement  meant 
trouble  for  his  boy. 

The  letters  contained  the  statements  that  the  boys  were 
through  with  their  examinations;  that  both  had  passed  with 
credit,  and  had  been  assigned  to  their  respective  classes. 

They  had  secured  adjoining  rooms,  but  were  very  much 
disappointed  to  learn  that  Buck  Lashum  had  secured  a  room 
on  the  same  floor,  across  the  hall  on  the  front  tier,  overlooking 
the  campus — one  of  the  rooms  sought  by  the  rich  boys. 

They  also  spoke  of  the  boys  of  different  nationalities  who 
were  attending  the  College.  There  were  Englishmen,  Scotch- 
men, Italians,  Spaniards,  Japanese,  Chinese,  Negroes,  French- 
men, Germans,  and  one  Persian  of  a  noble  family. 

As  all  the  young  men  spoken  of  in  the  letter  met  in  the 
chapel  at  devotional  exercises  and  at  the  mess  table,  the 
Southern  boys,  led  by  Buck  Lashum,  not  understanding  the 
sentiment  which  prevailed  at  this  College,  promptly  waited 
upon  the  President,  the  grand  old  Dr.  Finley,  and  requested 
that  the  Negroes,  also  the  Japanese,  Chinese  and  the  Persians, 
be  seated  at  a  separate  table,  so  that  the  gentlemen  of  the 
South  could  enjoy  their  meals  without  feeling  that  they  were 
degrading  themselves  by  eating  with  "niggers." 

The  President  of  the  College  listened  very  attentively  to 
these  students,  then  asked:  "Do  you  know  who  these  young 
men  are?  And  what  is  your  objection?" 

34 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


35 


Mr.  Buck  Lashum,  being  the  spokesman  of  the  party,  and 
not  having  had  that  early  education  which  would  have  fitted 
him  to  act  in  such  a  matter,  blurted  out :  ' '  They  are  niggers. ' ' 

"Sit  down,  gentlemen,"  said  the  good  man;  "let  me  tell 
you  who  these  gentlemen  are." 

He  then  called  the  Secretary  and  had  the  roster  of  the 
College  brought. 

"Now,  let  me  see  who  these  people  are  to  whom  you  so 
strenuously  object.  First,  we  have  the  two  Japanese,  one,  the 
son  of  Baron  Yoshida;  the  other,  a  son  of  Count  Nagayana; 
both  old  aristocratic  families,  whose  names  have  been  inter- 
woven in  the  history  of  the  Eastern  world  for  more  than  a 
century. 

"Next,  we  have  the  Chinese,  four  in  number,  who  are 
descendants  of  families,  the  youngest  of  which  antedates  the 
building  of  the  great  Chinese  Wall,  years  before  the  Chris- 
tian era. 

1 '  The  Persian  is  a  prince  of  the  royal  blood,  brother  of  the 
present  ruler  of  Persia,  whose  family  dates  back  981  B.  C. 

"Next,  we  have  the  Negroes  from  Jamaica,  whose  fathers 
are  British  subjects,  included  among  the  wealthy,  cultured 
and  progressive  men  on  that  Island. 

"The  next  five  are  sons  of  Afro- Americans,  some  of  whom 
you  gentlemen  may  have  known  before  you  came  to  this 
College.  I  understand  that  one  or  two  of  you — looking  at 
Buck — have  personal  acquaintance  with  some  of  these  Afro- 
Americans. 

* '  Now,  I  notice  among  you  some  native  born  Southern  men, 
and  some  who  have  never  been  South.  What  am  I  to  infer? 
That  you  young  men  have  gotten  together  and  come  to  the 
conclusion,  before  you  have  been  here  long  enough  to  know 
the  sentiment  or  learn  the  rules  which  govern  this  Institution, 
that  there  is  something  radically  wrong  in  the  management 
of  this  College,  and  that  all  that  is  needed  is  just  a  little  care 
at  your  hands  and  all  will  be  set  right  ? 


36  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

"You  young  men  who  come  from  the  South  may  think  you 
are  right  because  you  have  been  taught  these  ideas;  but  you 
young  men  who  have  never  been  South  must  have  borrowed 
these  ideas,  which  are  no  credit  to  you. 

"As  President  of  this  College,  I  will  inform  you,  gentle- 
men, that  the  College  will  continue  to  stand  by  its  old  rules 
and  customs,  and  live  up  to  the  sentiment  which  has  always 
dominated  it,  and  if  in  any  way  the  table  does  not  suit  you 
gentlemen,  you  will  be  permitted  to  have  a  table  at  which 
you  may  enjoy  yourselves  as  your  sense  of  dignity  may  dictate. 
These  young  men  are  students  here  in  the  same  sense  that 
you  are,  entitled  to  all  the  rights  and  consideration  to  which 
you  are  entitled.  It  is  not  the  policy  of  this  College  to 
humiliate  one  student  at  the  behest  of  another.  I  am  rather 
astonished  at  this  proceeding.  You  gentlemen  have  just 
entered  College.  You  have  been  here  but  three  weeks,  and 
yet  you  come  to  me  with  a  request  for  me  to  unsettle  a  policy 
which  was  established  forty  years  ago.  Am  I  to  consider  you 
a  disturbing  element? 

"My  advice  to  all  of  you  is,  look  well  to  your  books;  look 
well  to  your  lectures;  look  well  to  yourselves,  lest  these  same 
boys  whom  you  now  hold  in  such  contempt  outstrip  you  when 
examination  day  comes,  and  leave  the  management  of  the 
College  to  those  upon  whom  that  duty  devolves." 

With  these  words,  spoken  in  a  kindly  voice,  but  in  no 
uncertain  way,  the  President  arose  and  the  interview  was 
at  an  end. 

When  this  delegation  was  well  out  of  hearing  of  the 
President's  office,  Buck  Lashum  burst  forth  with  an  oath, 
saying : 

"Who  would  have  thought  that  a  white  man  would  have 
said  that  a  'nigger'  is  as  good  as  a  white  man,  and  that  a 
white  man  can  eat  at  a  side  table  if  he  don't  like  the  'niggers' 
being  present ! 

"I,  for  one,  will  write  home  and  tell  my  pappy  that  I  am 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  37 

sick  from  eating  with  'niggers'  and  want  to  come  home.  He 
will  send  for  me  by  the  next  mail/'* 

The  next  speaker  was  a  boy  who  came  from  a  ' '  copperhead ' ' 
family  of  Southern  Indiana  by  the  name  of  Bloxum.  This 
family  possesses  nothing  but  a  reputation  for  aping  aristo- 
cratic people  and  forming  friendships  with  the  newly  rich 
of  their  neighborhood. 

There  appeared  to  be  something  in  Buck  Lashum  for 
Bloxum,  hence  the  newly  formed  friendship. 

"Buck,  don't  do  nothing  of  the  sort;  stay  right  here  and 
let's  give  them  h — .  These  'niggers'  have  no  business  here; 
we  can  freeze  them  out." 

'  *  That  is  right, ' '  spoke  up  the  rest ;  '  *  we  can  arouse  enough 
sentiment  to  force  the  faculty  to  put  them  out." 

"We  can  write  home  and  ask  our  people  to  write  here, 
saying  that  the  'nigger'  must  go,"  said  Bloxum. 

Then  spoke  up  young  Bucker : 

"Well,  you  fellows  can  do  that  if  you  choose,  but  I  am 
going  to  take  Dr.  Finley  at  his  word  and  let  this  thing  alone. 
I  didn't  want  to  mix  up  with  this  affair  in  the  beginning, 
anyhow.  My  father  has  no  money  to  waste  on  me  fooling 
with  other  people's  business.  I  must  make  my  time  count 
while  I  am  in  College. ' ' 

"Just  like  you,"  said  Bloxum,  "afraid  of  your  shadow. 
Well,  I  guess  we  can  find  enough  white  men  in  this  College 
to  carry  this  thing  through." 

"We  will  try  without  you,"  said  the  rest. 

' '  That  is  what  you  will  have  to  do, ' '  replied  Bucker. 

When  this  visit  to  the  President  became  known,  and  what 
these  young  men  had  attempted  to  do,  the  foreigners  were 
astonished.  Being  of  royal  blood,  they  could  not  understand 
what  was  meant  by  the  attitude,  and  the  request  preferred, 
and  took  just  the  opposite  view,  thinking  that  the  common 
people  were  afraid  to  sit  with  royalty,  and,  therefore,  under- 


38  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

took  to  explain  to  Lashum  and  Bloxum  their  willingness  to 
waive  the  point  in  etiquette  so  long  as  they  were  in  school. 

When  the  students  learned  that  the  foreigners  had  con- 
descendingly endeavored  to  waive  this  point  in  etiquette  and 
were  willing  that  these  protesting  boys  should  eat  at  the  same 
table  with  them,  the  jibes  and  shafts  of  wit  and  sarcasm 
thrust  at  them  by  the  students  would  have  been  unbearable  to 
persons  of  refinement  and  culture,  but  were  completely  lost 
upon  these  boys — one  the  son  of  a  former  overseer  of  six 
generations  of  overseers,  the  other  the  son  of  a  "copperhead/' 
whose  natural  characteristic  is  what  the  word  "copperhead" 
is  meant  to  imply. 

Consequently,  in  the  density  of  their  ignorance  and  self- 
conceit  they  failed  utterly  to  appreciate  the  ridiculous  position 
in  which  they  had  placed  themselves.  Both  Buck  and  his 
friend  Bloxum  failed  to  pass  the  examinations  which  had 
been  passed  with  credit  by  the  boys  whom  they  presumed  to 
condemn;  but  they  were  permitted  to  go  on  conditionally. 

Buck  felt  that  he  was  white  and  that  that  was  all  that  was 
necessary. 

By  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  he  had  learned  better. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ST  IS  now  Christmas  time  following  the  departure  of  the 
boys.  We  find  the  two  Old  Abes  before  the  great  fire- 
place smoking  and  discussing  their  absent  sons.  Suddenly 
Overley  changed  the  conversation  by  remarking: 

"Abe,  I  am  expecting  some  friends  here  tonight.  Mr.  Jim 
Connors  sent  me  word  that  he  would  come  over  and  stay  a 
couple  of  days ;  so  I  have  invited  some  of  the  old  family  heads 
to  join  us,  as  I  think  it  a  fit  time  to  discuss  ways  and  means 
to  put  a  stop  to  these  cussed  'crackers'  carryings  on.  Big 
Joe  Wheatly,  the  Postmaster,  Sam  Hurry,  and  the  only  one 
left  in  office  who  belongs  to  my  circle  of  friends,  Dr.  Jack 
Gushing,  the  minister,  Rev.  Dr.  Snell,  and " 

"The  minister?"  interrupts  Abe.  "I  hope,  sah,  dat  you 
will  'member  he  presence  an'  not  forgit  yo'  presence  ob  mine 
an'  say  nothin'  dat  he  will  feel  called  on  to  pray  fo'  you  fo'. 
You  'member  what  you  done  do  de  las'  time  he  war  under 
dis  roof?"  (Overley  having  been  guilty  of  using  some  very 
strong  language  in  reference  to  the  Doctor's  sentiment  on 
Slavery.) 

"Abe,  who  the  h —  made  you  my  censor?     Who " 

"What  dat?  Who  made  me  what?  What  you  mean  by 
dem  big  words  ?  Dat  one  ting  dat  I  al  'ays  take  count  on  when 
I  gits  right  whar  you  oughter  listen;  den  you  go  on  wid  yo' 
big  words,  tell  somehow  I  loses  count  of  what  Ise  goin'  to 
say,  an '  den  you  is  seen  larfin '  to  yo  'se  'f  lek  de  debble.  Yo  '11 
not  be  able  al  'ays  to  talk  outen  my  sight.  I  promise  you  dat. ' ' 

"Abe,  I  did  not  mean  to  offend  you;  but  you  know  that  I 
am  not  sickly  and  weak  like  I  was  seventy  years  ago.  Maybe 
you  have  forgotten  that  I  am  the  head  of  the  family,  and  that 
I  may  talk  as  I  see  fit. ' ' 

"Yes,  sah,  dat  am  true  'nuff;  but  de  good  Lawd  am  sholy 
takin'  count  ob  how  de  haid  ob  de  house  is  'havin'  hese'l 

39 


40 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


Dare  am  jes'  one  ting  dat  de  Lawd  seem  negleckful  'bout,  an' 
dat  am  yo'  soul.  Me  an'  my  'oman  has  bin  axin'  de  Lord 
to  sho'  you  de  erer  ob  yo'  way  for  mor'n  fifty  yeahs,  but  all 
to  no  puppose. 

"Let  me  axe  you,  what  you  goin'  do,  what  you  goin'  say 
when  de  great  day  done  cum,  an'  de  rocks  an'  de  mountains 
hab  all  fleed  'way,  an'  de  sea  shall  be  as  a  burnin'  flame;  when 
de  great  Jehover  hab  done  cum  to  jedg  dis  world;  when  de 
'corden  angul  dun  gits  down  to  yo'  name  an'  he  dun  read  all 
dem  bad  an '  awful  words  dat  you  dun  say  an '  dat  he  hab  got 
agin  you?  What  you  goin'  say?  Huh?  What  you  goin' 
say?  It  do  seem  to  me  sometimes  dat  yo'  is  suttenly  foolin' 
wid  de  Lawd.  Duz  you  'member  Miss  Miranda,  what  she  say 
when  she  jine  our  han  's  togedder  jes '  bef o '  de  Lawd  done  took 
her  'way  ?  I  axe  you,  duz  you  'member  ?  She  say  :  'Cum  close 
to  me,  I  wants  to  tell  you  both  what  de  Lawd  has  done  fo'  me, 
kase  I  has  al'ays  trusted  Him.'  Duz  you  'member  dat  she 
say:  'Oh,  Lawd,  Thy  will  be  done.'  Den  her  haid  drap  an' 
she  dun  gone  to  Hebben.  Duz  you  'member  dat  you  is  de 
onny  pusson  on  dis  heah  'hole  plantation  dat  has  nebber  gib 
he  soul  to  de  Lawd  ?  You  is  a  old  man  now,  sah,  an '  hab  but 
a  few  mo'  days  to  linger  on  dis  heah  eart'.  You  is  in  good 
mine  an'  body  today,  but  you  don't  know  what  mout  be  de 
matter  tomorrow.  Duz  you  not  feel  de  lonel'ness  ob  bein' 
outen  de  Lawd?  Duz  you  not  feel  dat  tim'  hab  done  cum 
fo'  you  to  spoke  to  de  Lawd  an'  axe  Him  to  forgin  you  all  yo' 
many  sins?  Duz  you  not  feel  dat  a  old  man  is  safer  in  de 
Lawd's  fole  dan  he  is  outen  it?  Duz  you  tink  dat  you  will 
be  so  peaceful  an'  happy  as  Miss  Miranda  when  she  died — 
when  she  smile  an '  say :  '  Lawd,  Thy  will  be  done ! '  ' 

Abe  observed  that  his  friend's  eyes  were  filled  with  tears 
and  that  he  was  greatly  affected  by  his  reference  to  the  past, 
and  asked  him  if  he  would  not  then  and  there  throw  himself 
upon  the  Lawd.  Overley  seemed  on  the  point  of  opening  his 
heart  to  God,  when  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door  and  Lucy 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  41 

announced  Jim  Connors  and  Big  Joe  Wheatley.  As  both 
men  strode  into  the  room  Overley  stood  looking  at  them  with 
a  tear-stained  face,  but  unembarrassed.  Abe  observed  the 
interruption  and  noted  the  harm  done  by  their  untimely 
arrival;  but  he  bowed  his  head  and  murmured: 

"Lawd,  Thy  will  be  done." 

To  their  question  as  to  what  ailed  him,  Overley  said  quietly 
and  with  great  seriousness  that  Abe  had  almost  persuaded 
him  to  become  a  Christian.  Big  Joe  Wheatley  laughed  and 
observed  that  from  his  appearance  Abe  must  have  persuaded 
him  that  he  was  an  infant  again.  He  also  wanted  to  know 
how  long  Abe  had  been  doing  missionary  work  among  the 
heathen. 

Jim  Connors  took  a  more  serious  view  of  the  matter  and 
wanted  to  know  what  Abe  had  said.  Connors  had  had  a  very 
pious  Catholic  mother  and  had  never  forgotten  her  last  words, 
although  he  had  not  followed  her  parting  advice.  When  he 
was  told  what  Abe  had  said  of  the  death-bed  scene  of  Mrs. 
Miranda  Overley,  he,  too,  was  visibly  affected.  The  words 
brought  back  to  his  memory  a  similar  experience.  He  sat 
silent  and  thoughtful  for  a  long  time.  Finally,  he  broke  the 
silence,  which  had  become  painful,  with  the  remark: 

''Malcolm,  I  remember  your  mother's  death  as  well  as  if  it 
were  yesterday,  instead  of  thirty  years  ago.  Of  course,  I 
remember  my  own  mother's  death  better,  although  she  has 
been  dead  more  than  thirty  odd  years.  But  they  were  both 
good  Christian  women,  and  both  left  us  with  the  request  on 
their  dying  lips  that  we  trust  in  the  Lord.  Has  either  of  us 
done  so?  I  will  say  that  I  have  not.  What  have  you  to 
say  for  yourself?" 

"Jim,  at  times  I  have  considered  this  question  of  eternity 
very  seriously,  but  have  never  gotten  to  the  point  where  I 
could  reconcile  all  the  various  obstacles  that  have  arisen  in 
my  mind.  I  do  honestly  wish  that  I  had." 

"Yes,  yes,  Malcolm,  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  would  have 


42  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

been  better  for  us  both  had  we  followed  our  mothers'  parting- 
advice.  We  are  old  men  now " 

"Is  it  too  late  now?"  exclaimed  a  voice  from  the  hall,  and 
the  good  minister,  Rev.  Dr.  Snell,  came  into  the  room.  In 
the  seriousness  of  the  discussion  Lucy's  announcement  of 
Dr.  Snell 's  arrival  had  not  been  noticed.  He  had  heard  the 
latter  part  of  what  was  said  while  being  relieved  of  his  hat 
and  outer  coat. 

"I  do  not  feel  that  it  is  too  late,  nor  do  I  feel  that  there 
is  any  particular  hurry  about  the  matter.  I  just  cannot  get 
my  mind  around  to  the  point  where  I  feel  that  it  is  necessary 
for  me  to  become  a  Christian,"  answered  Overley. 

* '  Doctor,  that  is  also  the  way  I  feel  concerning  the  matter, ' r 
said  Jim  Connors. 

"Oh,  brothers,  let  me  tell  you  what  the  Lord  has  done  for 
you.  You  are  poor  insects  as  compared  with  Him.  He  could 
have  crushed  you  out  of  this  life  long  ago,  but  He  has  spared 
you  for  some  good  purpose.  You  are  old  men  now,  well  nigh 
eighty  years  of  age,  though  still  hale  and  hearty.  Have  you 
nothing  to  be  thankful  for?" 

"Oh,  yes,  we  have  our  fallen  fortunes  to  be  thankful  for," 
said  Big  Joe  Wheatley. 

"Oh,  my  brother,  you  always  strike  a  bitter  chord  when 
you  speak  of  our  fallen  fortunes.  Years  back,  when  the 
colored  people  were  our  bonded  servants,  we  always  had  the 
means  of  raising  ready  money;  but  now  we  have  to  content 
ourselves  with  the  crops  and  rents.  Some  years  are  good,  but 
most  are  bad.  God  in  His  wise  providence  may  send  the 
good  old  days  back  again." 

"God  forbid!"  said  the  three  men  in  chorus. 

"I  was  born  on  a  plantation  where  there  were  over  one 
hundred  slaves.  I  came  into  possession  of  all  those  men, 
women  and  children.  I  fought  to  maintain  our  cause;  but, 
God  forbid  that  those  days  of  bondage  may  ever  come  again, ' ' 
was  the  remark  of  Jim  Connors. 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  43 

Big  Joe  Wheatley  remarked: 

"I,  too,  was  born  on  a  plantation  peopled  with  dozens  of 
slaves.  The  old  place  belongs  to  me  now.  My  former  slaves 
are  now  my  tenants;  some  few  have  bought  the  places  on 
which  they  live.  But  I  never  want  to  see  these  people  in 
slavery  again.  No,  I  hope  that  our  fair  Southland  will  never 
again  be  cursed  with  human  slavery. ' ' 

"But,  Doctor,  I  do  not  understand  how  you  can  wish  for 
what  you  call  the  good  old  times.  You  lived  North  before 
the  war  and  saw  nothing  of  the  slave  system,  only  when  you 
visited  your  old  uncle  here  at  Christmas  time.  How  do  you 
know  that  those  were  good  old  times?7' 

' '  I  always  heard  uncle  refer  to  them  as  the  good  old  times, ' ' 
was  the  Doctor's  hesitating  reply. 

Old  Abe  had  been  seating  the  guests,  a  number  of  whom 
had  arrived.  He  had  also  been  a  close  listener  to  the  remarks 
of  the  good  minister. 

Upon  leaving  the  room  he  mumbled  to  himself: 

"Dat  preacher  man  he  beate  de  debble.  He  a  good  man  one 
way.  He  sho'  can  'zort  de  sinners  to  tu'n  from  dey  crooked 
ways ;  but  den  he  al  'ays  droppin '  sumfin '  sly  lek  'bout  de  good 
slavery  day;  'bout  de  war  times;  'bout  he  wish  dat  slavery 
cum  agin';  'bout  de  Yankee  sojers,  when  he  a  Yankee  hesef. 
He  onny  cum  heah  to  lib  arter  his  uncle  die  an'  lebe  him  dat 
plantation.  My  Abe  say  he  a  sturdin'  element..  Well,  nobody 
in  dis  heah  house  wants  slavery  to  cum  agin'.  I  thank  God 
fo'  dat." 

After  Abe  had  gone,  Overley  called  the  attention  of  his 
friends  to  what  was  done  and  said  at  the  last  meeting. 

It  was  soon  agreed  that  a  set  of  resolutions  should  be 
adopted  and  published  as  a  warning  to  all  persons  engaged 
in  these  midnight  killings. 

The  resolutions  were  as  follows: 

' '  WHEREAS,  Murder,  arson,  rape,  riots  and  outrages  of  vary- 
ing degrees  are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  this  county ;  and 


44  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

"  WHEREAS,  It  appears  that  the  regularly  constituted 
authorities  do  not  seem  able  nor  willing  to  cope  with  the 
perpetrators  of  these  outrages;  therefore,  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  we,  the  following-named  law-abiding  citi- 
zens, do  pledge  our  support,  our  purses  and  our  persons 
individually  and  collectively,  to  the  county  authorities  and 
to  EACH  OTHER  for  the  suppression  of  all  kinds  of  lawlessness. 
It  is  further 

"Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  published  and  posted, 
in  order  that  all  persons  may  learn  them  and  govern  them- 
selves accordingly. " 

After  much  discussion  it  was  finally  agreed  that  a  contest 
should  be  made  in  an  effort  to  wrest  the  office  of  sheriff  from 
the  Lashum  family.  Little  Joe  Wheatley  was  named  for  the 
office.  After  an  old-fashioned  Christmas  dinner,  enlivened 
by  wit  and  good-fellowship,  the  committee  adjourned,  subject 
to  the  call  of  the  newly  elected  chairman,  James  Connors. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

'HEN  the  two  boys  had  started  to  College,  as  pre- 
viously related,  they  were  both  shaken  by  conflicting 
emotions.     Neither  had  ever  been  from  home  before, 
but  both  were  determined  to  succeed. 

1  'Abe,  suppose  I  fail  in  the  examination?  How  could  I 
look  father  in  the  face  again?"  said  Malcolm. 

' '  You  fail !  How  could  you  possibly  get  that  idea  in  your 
head?  You  will  never  fail,"  said  Abe.  "Did  you  notice 
those  Lashum  and  Smaly  boys  at  the  station?  What  a  nasty 
look  they  gave  us  when  we  got  on  the  train?  Well,  they  are 
far  behind  now,  and  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from  them.  It 
is  awful  to  live  among  people  whom  you  have  to  watch  all 
the  time — people  that  only  let  you  alone  because  they  fear 
you.  Those  Smalys  are  surely  going  to  do  me  some  harm 
some  day.  I  feel  it." 

' '  Abe,  you  are  getting  daffy.  I  have  seen  those  people  drive 
in  the  ditch  to  let  you  pass  in  the  center  of  the  road.  Why  do 
you  look  for  trouble  from  them?" 

"That  is  just  it.  You  don't  seem  to  understand  the  nature 
of  these  '  crackers. '  When  they  show  their  teeth  or  obse- 
quiously drive  in  the  ditch  to  let  you  pass  them  on  the  road, 
or  offer  to  shake  hands  when  you  meet  them,  look  out  for 
yourself;  guard  your  haystacks  and  barns  and  keep  off  the 
dark  roads  at  night  when  alone.  I  have  seen  the  result  of 
so  many  accidents  (?)  to  haystacks  and  lone  Negroes  that  my 
heart  grows  sick,  and  it's  getting  worse." 

"Well,  Abe,"  said  Malcolm,  "do  not  take  the  gloomy  side 
of  this  affair  to  rest  your  judgment  upon.  There  are  other 
things  to  talk  about  just  now.  What  will  we  do  when  we 
get  to  Oberlin  ?  I  think  it  a  good  thing  for  us  to  see  President 
Finley  as  soon  as  we  get  there,  and  ask  his  advice  as  to  the 
courses  we  shall  take  in  school, ' '  continued  Malcolm. 

45 


46  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

"I  think  that  is  a  very  good  idea,  indeed.  We  certainly 
should  have  some  definite  object  in  mind.  We  must  explain 
to  President  Finley  what  schooling  we  have  had  and  what 
we  want  to  do  in  the  future  and  let  him  advise  us." 

"Well,  Abe,  we  will  do  that.  Abe,  there  is  another  thing 
about  which  I  want  to  have  an  understanding  with  you.  You 
have  already  said  that  you  would  not  agree  to  room  with  me 
even  if  we  could  get  a  large  room  with  two  beds.  I  do  not 
blame  you  for  that.  We  must  have  adjoining  rooms,  however. 
What  do  you  say  to  that?" 

"That  has  been  my  desire  from  the  first,  but  I  did  not  so 
express  myself,  because  I  am  not  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  Jr.  I 
am  simply  Abe  Overley,  Jr.,  and  have  no  right  to  make  my 
expenses  at  College  one  cent  more  than  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary." 

"Well,  that  is  just  what  I  expected  you  to  say.  Father 
told  me,  and  he  told  you,  that  you  are  to  have  and  fare  the 
same  as  I  do.  Now,  Abe,  you  know  my  father  and  you  know 
me.  You  know  that  if  you  were  not  to  have  the  same  advan- 
tages that  I  enjoy  you  would  never  have  been  sent  from  home. 
You  will  wound  my  father's  feelings  very  much  if  you  ever 
let  him  know  that  you  entertained  any  such  ideas.  Now  that 
is  settled,  there  is  one  other  thing.  I  promise  you  that  I 
shall  join  no  society,  no  team,  without  your  knowledge,  and 
I  think  we  should  consult  before  either  of  us  does  anything 
that  may  affect  our  relations  or  our  futures.  Do  you  agree 
to  that?" 

"I  do.  I  agree  most  willingly.  I  suppose  you  will  come 
to  me  if  you  see  a  girl  you  like,  and  say,  '  Abe,  I  am  sweet  on 
Miss  Silks.  Do  you  think  I  had  better  try  to  win  her  ? '  ' 

"Well,  what  would  you  say  to  that?"  asked  Malcolm. 

"I  would  ask  you  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  I  would 
look  up  her  family,  and  if  she  had  no  'cracker'  blood  in  her 
I  would  say,  'Go  in  and  win  her.'  " 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  47 

The  next  day  but  one  after  their  arrival  they  were  able  to 
get  a  few  minutes  with  the  good  President,  Dr.  Finley.  After 
they  had  stated  who  they  were  and  whence  they  came  and 
the  circumstances  under  which  they  came  to  College  to  the 
President,  he,  after  some  thought,  dismissed  them  with  a 
request  that  they  come  to  him  again. 

The  boys'  story  had  greatly  impressed  Dr.  Finley,  and  he 
was  desirous  of  consulting  his  friend,  George  Billings  Done- 
well.  As  Dr.  Finley  and  Mr.  Done  well  sat  next  evening  in 
the  Doctor's  library  their  conversation  turned  to  the  College 
and  new  students. 

"Donewell,"  said  the  Doctor,  "I  have  two  students  here 
this  year  whom  I  shall  watch  with  a  great  deal  of  interest. 
They  came  here  together  under  most  peculiar  circumstances. 
First,  let  me  describe  them.  Both  are  about  six  feet  tall ;  one 
is  very  white,  with  curly  chestnut  brown  hair,  blue  eyes,  ruddy 
complexion ;  he  does  not  look  nor  act  like  a  Southern-born  boy. 
The  other  is  as  black  as  the  first  boy  is  white;  six  feet,  good 
features,  with  curly  black  hair  of  a  peculiar  texture,  a  perfect 
specimen  of  physical  manhood.  They  appear  to  enjoy  each 
other's  confidence  to  an  unusual  degree.  They  gave  me  their 
history  and  how  they  came  to  be  here.  It  appears  that  the 
white  boy's  father  is  of  an  old  family  of  Alabama  as  old  as 
the  State  itself.  And  the  Negro  comes  from  a  slave  family 
that  has  served  the  white  boy's  people  for  generations.  It 
appears,  further,  that  the  respective  fathers  are  close  friends, 
and  the  white  father,  though  reduced  in  circumstances,  with 
a  heavy  mortgage  hanging  upon  his  home,  is  sending  his  black 
friend's  boy  here  to  College  with  instructions  to  me  that  I 
look  after  them  both  and  that  they  are  to  fare  alike.  I  tell 
you,  Donewell,  these  Southern  people  are  a  puzzle  to  me." 

''Doctor,  you  do  not  know  them.  You  know  that  I  have 
lived  and  traveled  in  every  State  in  the  South,  both  before 
and  since  the  war.  I  have  had  an  opportunity  to  study  them 
psychologically  and  commercially.  There  are  two  separate 


48  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

and  distinct  classes  of  white  people  in  those  States,  as  separate 
and  distinct  as  if  they  were  not  Caucasians.  I  refer  to  the 
old  blue  blood  families  and  the  people  who  are  commonly 
designated  as  'crackers.'  The  old  blue  bloods  these  days  are 
reduced  financially,  but  their  blood  remains  pure.  They 
would  not  consent  to  a  daughter  or  a  son  marrying  a 
'cracker'  any  more  than  they  would  consent  to  a  marriage 
with  a  Negro.  This  'cracker'  element  was,  before  the  war, 
the  overseer  class ;  now  they  are  the  policemen  and  street  car 
people,  and  men  working  along  those  lines.  They  are  non- 
progressive,  always  have  been  and  apparently  always  will  be. 
There  are  rare  exceptions,  however,  where  you  will  find  one 
of  this  class  possessed  of  any  amount  of  brains — brains  in  the 
broad  sense  of  the  word.  Men  of  this  class  prefer  Negro 
women  to  their  own,  and  they  are  entitled  to  their  share  of 
responsibility  for  the  very  large  number  of  mulattoes  that  are 
found  in  the  Southern  States.  In  traveling  through  Maryland 
I  heard,  in  fact,  I  saw  all  the  parties  to  the  following  story: 
A  white  man  by  the  name  of  Scotch  lived  with  an  old  black 
woman  who  bore  him  several  children,  two  girls  among  them, 
the  eldest  of  whom  was  a  large,  well-developed  country  girl, 
about  twenty  years  of  age  when  I  first  saw  her.  This  father 
persuaded  his  daughter  to  come  to  him  in  a  cabin  where  he 
lived.  The  girl  was  gone  from  home  for  two  days  and  nights. 
The  cabin,  the  girl,  the  man,  all  bore  evidence  of  the  two  days ' 
struggle.  This  is  an  extreme  case,  but  it  will  give  some  idea 
of  the  nature  of  this  race  of  white  men  who  live  south  of  us, 
and  who  are  fast  coming  amongst  us,  bringing  their  uncouth 
and  semicivilized  manners  and  customs.  The  other  class,  while 
they  will  risk  life  and  fortune  for  a  handsome  mulatto  or 
octoroon,  will  also  educate  their  offspring." 

"Yes,  but  this  does  not  appear  to  be  a  case  of  that  kind. 
This  boy  is  a  full-blooded  Negro.  There  must  be  some  tie  that 
binds  these  people  other  than  that  referred  to  by  you.  I 
shall  watch  this  case  with  great  interest.  They  have  asked 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  49 

my  advice,  which  I  shall  gladly  give  them.  Do  you  remember 
having  met  a  man  by  the  name  of  Lashum — Nicholas  Lashum 
— in  A County,  Alabama  ?" 

' '  Oh,  yes !  I  met  him,  or,  rather,  his  family,  ten  or  twelve 
years  ago.  One  of  the  family  was  sheriff  of  the  county,  and 
I  think  that  one  of  this  family  has  been  sheriff  of  that  county 
ever  since  the  war.  It  is  a  very  large  family  and  one  of 

whom  some  of  the  citizens  of  A County  are  not  very 

proud.  The  elder  Lashum  was  notorious  in  the  State  during 
the  war.  He  made  his  money  in  some  questionable  way  during 
that  period.  I  met  them  in  the  course  of  business  while  in 
that  county.  I  also  met  some  very  fine  old  Bourbons  in  that 
part  of  the  State. 

11  These  young  men  to  whom  I  refer  both  came  from  that 
county.  Overley  is  the  name,"  said  Dr.  Finley. 

"Why,  I  remember  the  Overley  plantation  very  well.  I 
spent  two  days  upon  it.  I  was  greatly  impressed  with  the 
cordial  welcome  extended  to  me  by  the  Overleys.  I  remember 
the  perfect  friendship  that  seemed  to  exist  between  Mr. 
Overley  and  his  former  slave,  Abe,  than  whom  a  more  perfect 
specimen  of  physical  manhood  I  never  saw.  The  two  sons 
were  like  their  respective  fathers,  and  each  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  complete  confidence  of  the  other.  I  was  struck  by  the 
simplicity  and  beauty  of  the  lives  of  the  people  on  that  planta- 
tion. There  appeared  to  be  only  one  thing  lacking — funds. 
I  sold  the  Lashums  a  large  bill  of  goods,  but  Overley  told  me 
frankly  that  he  had  no  money  and  could  not  purchase  any- 
thing at  that  time.  I  offered  to  send  him  what  he  wanted  and 
take  his  word  for  the  money,  explaining  to  him  that  I  owned 
the  plant  and  no  one  would  ever  push  him  for  payments. 
After  a  consultation  with  his  black  man,  Abe,  he  refused  my 
offer.  I  will  always  remember  that  home." 

"You  will  have  an  opportunity  to  study  that  family  from 
another  point  of  view.  These  boys  are  no  doubt  the  little 
fellows  whom  you  saw  while  at  their  home." 


50  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

''When  you  see  them  again,  Doctor,  I  would  like  to  be 
present.  I  want  to  note  what  changes  ten  years  have  made 
in  them/' 

Mr.  George  Billings  Donewell  was  one  of  those  rare  char- 
acters sometimes  found  in  this  selfish  world,  who  have  been 
successful,  and  who  delight  in  helping  others.  He  advanced 
a  peculiar  "code  of  ethics,"  as  he  termed  it,  based  wholly  on 
the  Golden  Rule,  "Do  unto  others  as  you  would  have  them 
do  to  you."  His  theory  was  that  all  men  are  born  free  and 
equal;  but  as  God,  in  His  wise  providence,  endows  some  men 
in  a  greater  degree  than  others,  that  those  persons  so  endowed 
hold  their  endowments  in  trust  for  their  weaker  brothers.  He 
believed  that  Dr.  Finley,  having  been  endowed  with  great 
mental  faculties  and  the  power  to  comprehend  and  digest 
great  educational  problems,  was  in  duty  bound  to  disseminate 
his  knowledge  and  to  hold  it  in  trust  for  all  mankind.  So 
also  with  the  man  endowed  with  the  faculty  for  accumulating 
wealth.  He  believed  that  he  was  required  to  use  that  wealth 
for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  Mr.  Donewell  argued  and  lived 
up  to  this  theory: 

First,  that  a  man's  duty  is  to  God,  who  made  him. 

Second,  that  a  man's  duty  is  to  the  family  that  God  has 
given  him. 

Third,  that  a  man 's  duty  is  to  his  distressed  worthy  brother. 
Should  a  man  be  successful  in  this  world,  financially,  his  first 
duty  is  to  provide  for  his  family ;  but  all  over  and  above  their 
wants  and  needs  he  holds  in  trust  for  mankind. 

Many  are  the  young  men  who  have  passed  through  Oberlin 
College  and  felt  the  aid  of  a  helping  hand,  but  never  discov- 
ered whence  this  help  came,  so  careful  were  Dr.  Finley  and 
Mr.  Donewell  that  their  good  offices  should  not  be  heralded. 

Two  days  after  their  first  conference  with  the  President, 
Dr.  Finley  sent  for  our  Alabama  friends  and  had  a  long  talk 
with  them,  at  which  Mr.  Donewell  was  present.  The  Doctor 
advised  them  as  to  the  courses  he  thought  proper  for  them  to 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  51 

pursue  in  order  to  finish  their  respective  educations.  The 
boys  departed  highly  elated  over  the  friendships  they  had 
formed.  Dr.  Finley  and  Mr.  Donewell  both  had  invited  them 
to  visit  their  homes  whenever  they  found  it  convenient. 

''Abe/'  said  Malcolm,  while  on  the  way  back  to  their 
rooms,  "who  is  Mr.  Donewell?  He  says  that  he  remembers 
us.  He  certainly  has  been  on  the  old  place,  or  how  could  he 
locate  the  corn  crib,  the  spring  house  or  the  big  cherry  tree 
on  the  hill.  Do  you  remember  him  ? ' ' 

"I  cannot  say  that  I  do,  but  I  shall  always  remember  him 
now.  He  appears  to  be  a  very  fine  old  man.  When  shall  we 
visit  him  at  his  home?" 

"Whenever  you  say,  Abe." 

' '  Well,  tomorrow  is  Saturday ;  let  us  join  the  boys  who  are 
going  to  Black  River  to  fish. ' ' 

"I  will  be  glad  to  do  that,"  said  Malcolm,  "but  we  must 
be  careful.  I  have  heard  that  river  spoken  of  as  being  very 
dangerous. ' ' 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

EN  THE  early  morning  following  the  two  boys,  together 
with  several  other  young  men,   set   out   for  the   river. 
They  had  gone  but  half  the  distance  when  they  were 
overtaken  by  a   'bus  load  of  young  people,  boys  and  girls, 
bound  for  an  outing.     As  the  'bus  passed,  Malcolm  noticed 
several  female  classmates  whose  names  he  had  not  yet  learned. 

' '  Who  is  the  young  lady  with  the  dark  hair  and  eyes  ?  The 
one  on  the  end  of  the  seat?"  asked  Malcolm  of  young  Forbes, 
a  resident  of  Oberlin. 

"Why,  that  is  Miss  Donewell.  She  lives  on  Main  Street. 
Her  father  is  worth  a  million,  but  you  would  not  think  he 
had  doughnuts  if  you  saw  him  on  the  street.  The  other  girls 
next  to  her  are  New  Yorkers — sisters — Chiswells — father  is  a 
wholesale  druggist.  They  will  graduate  this  year,  I  believe. 
I  will  take  you  up  to  see  them  tomorrow  if  you  desire  to  be 
presented. ' ' 

"Certainly,  I  will  only  be  too  glad  to  avail  myself  of  the 
opportunity.  But  what  about  my  chum,  Abe?  Will  you  be 
as  glad  to  present  him  as  you  are  to  present  me?"  asked 
Malcolm. 

"Why,  of  course  I  will.  He  is  black  enough,  but  appears 
to  be  a  gentleman." 

'  *  What  do  you  think  the  young  ladies  will  say  ? ' '  questioned 
Malcolm. 

"You  do  not  seem  to  realize  one  thing,"  answered  Forbes. 
"I  have  lived  here  all  my  life  and  I  know  the  sentiment  of 
this  College.  There  is  a  fraternal  feeling  that  prevails  here. 
All  students  are  treated  alike.  These  young  ladies  will 
receive  him  very  cordially,  take  my  word  for  it." 

The  young  men  soon  arrived  at  the  river.  Some  busied 
themselves  digging  grubworms;  others  prepared  a  camp;  the 
others  strolled  about  the  banks  looking  for  a  good  place  to 
cast  the  lines. 

52 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  53 

Malcolm  and  Forbes  were  amongst  those  who  went  up  the 
stream.  Just  as  they  turned  a  bend  in  the  river  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  camp,  Abe,  who  had  remained  behind,  heard 
Malcolm's  voice  ring  out  clear  and  sharp:  "Stop  that!  Stop 
that!  You  are  upsetting  the  boat!" 

Abe  knew  from  the  ring  in  Malcolm's  voice  that  something 
unusual  was  happening,  and  he  hastened  to  the  bend  in  the 
river,  as  did  some  of  the  others,  to  see  what  the  trouble  was. 

They  observed  a  boat  containing  five  persons — three  girls 
and  two  young  men — coming  down  the  stream.  One  of  the 
men  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  boat,  rocking  it  violently.  The 
girl  who  was  sitting  in  the  bow  of  the  boat  lost  her  balance  and 
was  about  to  slip  overboard.  This  young  man,  whose  name  was 
Rattles,  heard  Malcolm's  warning;  but,  in  defiance,  gave  the 
boat  one  more  violent  tilt,  which  caused  it  to  careen,  and  when 
it  righted  again  Miss  Donewell  fell  overboard,  dropping  head- 
first into  the  water.  As  the  boat  lost  her  weight,  Mr.  Rattles 's 
position  caused  it  to  careen  violently  to  the  other  side,  and  he 
was  thrown  into  the  water  also.  When  each  came  to  the  sur- 
face the  current  had  carried  the  boat  out  of  their  reach.  Mr. 
Rattles  grasped  Miss  Donewell  about  the  shoulders  and  held 
her  head  under  the  water  white  trying  to  k&ep  his  own  above. 
Malcolm  and  Forbes  both  spr-ang  Into. the  water  and  were  soon 
at  the  girl's  side,  but  could  not  loosen  Ratfcl«*sr's  1  old  upon  her. 
She  was  apparently  being,  exhausted  by  De)ng  kept  under  the 
water  so  long.  Abe  saw  the  trouble  from  the  shore,  and,  spring- 
ing into  the  water,  was  soon  within  reach  of  them.  Without  a 
moment's  hesitation  he  dealt  Rattles  a  blow  between  the  eyes 
which  dazed  him.  Abe  then  pushed  Rattles 's  head  under  the 
water,  which  caused  him  to  loosen  his  hold  on  the  girl  and  to 
grasp  Abe.  Malcolm  and  Forbes  soon  got  the  young  lady  to 
the  river's  bank,  which  was  not  more  than  twenty  yards 
distant.  But  Abe  came  near  losing  his  life.  Rattles  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  a  hold  on  him  which  Abe  could  not  break. 
Abe's  only  recourse  was  to  keep  under  the  water  and  swim 


54  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

toward  the  bank,  which  was  a  trying  thing  to  do  with  a 
struggling  man  hanging  to  him.  A  person  possessed  of  less 
strength  and  coolness  would  not  have  succeeded.  When  he 
reached  the  bank  there  were  willing  hands  to  help  him  with 
his  burden.  Rattles,  in  his  terror,  could  not  be  induced  for 
some  time  to  loosen  his  hold  on  Abe's  arm,  not  realizing  that 
he  was  on  "  terra  firma"  and  away  from  all  danger.  The 
young  man  in  the  boat  was  unable  to  render  any  assistance 
owing  to  the  fact  that  one  oar  had  fallen  overboard.  He  tried 
manfully,  however,  to  scull  the  boat  close  enough  to  Abe  to 
enable  him  to  grasp  the  side,  but  did  not  succeed.  Miss  Done- 
well  was  resuscitated  by  the  young  ladies,  under  Malcolm's 
instructions,  and  was  soon  ready  to  return  to  the  'bus.  The 
girls  at  first  wanted  to  walk  back,  but  Malcolm  assured  them 
that  he  and  his  friend,  Abe,  could  manage  the  boat  and  get 
them  to  the  'bus  much  quicker. 

Miss  Donewell  smiled  and  said: 

'  *  You  and  Mr.  Forbes  have  just  pulled  me  out  of  the  water. 
I  can  trust  you  both  to  get  me  back  to  the  'bus. ' ' 

"We  did  not  do  it  all  ourselves,  Miss  Donewell,"  answered 
Forbes.  "If  Mr.  Overley,  there,"  pointing  to  Abe,  "had  not 
come  to  our  rescue  when  he  did.  I  am  afraid  four  of  us, 
including  Mr.  Rattles,  would  be  at  the  bottom  of  that  river 
now. ' ' 

"Mr.  Rattles,  what  a  pity!"  said  one  of  the  New  York 
girls.  He  lay  on  the  ground,  limp  and  motionless,  staring  at 
the  water  as  if  he  were  afraid  that  a  wave  would  come  and 
engulf  him  and  carry  him  back  beneath  its  surface. 

When  it  became  known  at  the  College  that  Rattles  had 
nearly  caused  Miss  Donewell  to  lose  her  life,  and  that  Abe 
had  blackened  Rattles 's  eyes  in  helping  to  rescue  her,  there 
were  many  and  various  comments  on  the  occurrence.  Most 
of  the  boys  were  inclined  to  praise  Abe  for  his  bravery.  But 
Lashum  and  Bloxum,  true  to  their  natures,  sought  to  stir  up 
strife.  They  sought  out  Rattles  with  a  view  to  poisoning  his 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  55 

mind  against  Abe,  Malcolm  and  Forbes.  Battles  was  a  West- 
ern boy  of  good  family,  true-hearted,  but  a  little  faulty  in 
judgment  at  times. 

"Say,  Mr.  Battles,"  began  Buck,  "I  hear  that  you  were 
given  a  wrong  turn  on  Black  River  last  Saturday.  That 
'nigger,'  Abe  Overley,  is  bigger  than  you  are  or  he  would 
never  have  dared  to  do  what  he  did." 

"No,"  said  Bloxum,  "if  I  were  you  I  would  not  stand  for 
such  treatment  at  the  hands  of  a  'nigger.'  He  is  running 
about  now  crowing  and  saying  how  he  smashed  you  between 
the  eyes.  That  fellow  he  came  here  with  makes  a  fool  of 
him.  The  idea,  taking  a  'nigger'  to  call  on  a  white  woman!" 

"Why,  Mr.  Rattles,"  again  urged  Buck,  "are  you  going  to 
stand  for  that?  Look  at  your  face!  Just  think  of  it!  A 
'nigger'  hit  you!  Go  to  the  Dean  and  complain.  We  will  go 
with  you  and  help  you  out.  This  'nigger'  is  too  free  with  his 
fists."  Buck  evidently  remembered  his  own  encounter  with 
Abe. 

"Rattles,  come  and  go  to  the  Dean,"  said  Bloxum;  "Buck 
and  myself  heard  him  say  what  he  had  done  and  what  he 
expected  to  do  before  long." 

"What  did  he  say  that  he  had  done?"  asked  Rattles. 

"Why,  that  you  are  the  biggest  cur  he  had  ever  met,  and 
all  he  wanted  was  just  one  chance  at  Dr.  Finley's  son  and 
he  would  be  satisfied." 

"Well,  that  seems  strange  to  me.  Abe  refused  to  go  with 
the  young  ladies  that  day ;  but  insisted  on  staying  with  me. 

"He  not  only  stayed  with  me,  but  reduced  the  swelling  in 
my  face,  smoothed  the  matter  over  with  the  Faculty,  and 
went  with  me  to  Mr.  Donewell's  home  when  I  offered  my 
apologies.  In  fact,  he  has  acted  like  a  man  in  the  whole 
affair.  He  is  my  friend.  He  has  just  left  my  room.  Maybe 
you  gentlemen  would  like  to  have  me  call  him?  He  is  with 
Forbes  and  two  or  three  others  across  the  hall. 


56 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


"We  don't  want  him.  We  don't  associate  with  'niggers/  " 
said  Buck. 

Battles  surprised  them  both  by  springing  to  his  feet  and 
opening  the  door,  saying : 

"Go!  Go,  and  go  quick!  Who  sent  for  you?  Who  asked 
for  your  advice?  Who  asked  for  your  aid?  You  are  both 
liars.  I  do  not  believe  one  word  you  have  told  me.  I  say 
this  man  is  my  friend.  And  you  dare  to  come  to  me  with 
your  lies  about  him.  I  never  want  to  see  your  faces  in  my 
room  again." 

The  three  young  men  were  now  in  the  hallway.  Battles,  in 
his  anger,  had  elevated  his  voice  above  the  others,  and 
attracted  the  attention  of  several  of  the  young  men  who  were 
in  the  adjoining  rooms,  among  them  being  Abe,  Malcolm  and 
Forbes. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  Battles?"  asked  Forbes. 

"He  has  his  Western  dander  up.  He  is  out  on  the  prairie 
now,  not  out  on  the  water,"  said  Hawkins,  Battles 's  chum. 
"Oh,  he's  got  it  in  him.  Say,  Battles,  old  boy,  what  is  the 
matter?"  asked  Hawkins. 

"These  fellows  have  taken  it  upon  themselves  to  come  to 
my  room  to  insult  my  friends,"  said  Battles.  "What  do 
you  think  of  them?" 

' '  Come  in  my  room,  fellows, ' '  said  one  of  the  young  men ; 
"we  are  not  permitted  to  stand  in  the  hallways.  Do  not 
leave,  gentlemen,"  he  added,  noting  that  Buck  and  Bloxum 
were  moving  away;  "you  are  welcome,  and,  further,  it  will 
be  necessary  for  you  to  explain  the  nature  of  this  insult  of 
which  Battles  complains." 

All  the  boys,  about  fifteen  in  number,  crowded  into  the 
room,  Buck  and  Bloxum  among  the  number,  though  they  were 
not  very  willing  to  enter. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Hawkins,  "an  unusual  thing  has  hap- 
pened. One  gentleman  has  passed  the  lie  to  two  others.  And, 
further,  has  ordered  those  gentlemen  never  to  put  their  faces 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  57 

in  his  room  again.  According  to  the  'Unwritten  Law'  of  this 
College,  the  offending  party  must  apologize  or  fight.  It  is 
also  the  Law,  that  a  committee  hear  the  case  and  pass  upon  it. 
Now,  Mr.  Buck  Lashum,  you  are  the  insulted  party;  what 
complaint  have  you  to  make?" 

"I  have  nothing  to  say,  nor  have  I  any  complaint  to  make," 
was  Buck's  answer. 

"Mr.  Squealer  Bloxum,  you  are  also  one  of  the  insulted 
parties.  What  complaint  have  you  to  make?" 

"I  think  that  Mr.  Rattles  was  a  little  excited  when  he  used 
the  word  'liar'  and  that  he  did  not  mean " 

' *  That  is  not  for  you  to  say, ' '  interrupted  Hawkins.  "It  is 
no  part  of  your  business  to  make  apologies  for  Mr.  Rattles. 
The  lie  has  been  passed.  The  question  is,  have  we  two  liars 
amongst  us,  or  have  we  two  men  amongst  us  who,  knowing 
they  are  not  liars,  do  not  possess  the  manhood  to  resent  the 
insult  ?  Now,  what  have  you  both  to  say  ?  I  will  say  further 
that  you  gentlemen  must  either  obtain  an  apology  from  Mr. 
Rattles,  or  fight,  or  be  branded  as  liars  and  cowards;  that  is 
the  Law." 

Buck  and  Bloxum  both  remained  silent,  not  knowing  what 
to  say. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Lashum?"  asked  a  Tennessee  boy. 
"Are  you  afraid  to  talk?  Do  you  forget  that  you  come  from 
the  South,  where  all  men  are  free,  and  where  you  only  find 
true  manhood?" 

"Yes,  these  fellows  are  a  sample  of  your  Southern  man- 
hood," spoke  up  a  long  Yankee  boy.  "I  venture  they  have 
lied  about  somebody,  and  now  they  are  afraid  to  own  it.  Just 
to  think  of  it,  a  true  Southern  gentleman  afraid  of  the  conse- 
quences of  his  acts ! ' ' 

This  bit  of  sarcasm  was  followed  by  a  peal  of  laughter. 

"Gentlemen,  let  us  have  no  cross-firing,"  said  Hawkins, 
adding:  "Mr.  Rattles,  you  have  violated  the  'Unwritten  Law' 


58 


AS     WE     SEE    IT. 


of  this  College  inasmuch  as  you  have  called  fellow  students 
liars. 

"What  have  you  to  say  for  yourself?" 

"I  will  simply  say  that  these  fellows " 

"Gentlemen,"  interrupted  Hawkins. 

"Well,  students,"  said  Rattles. 

"No,  gentlemen,"  insisted  Hawkins. 

' '  Students  came  to  my  room, ' '  continued  Battles,  ' '  and  lied 
to  me  about  my  friend,  whose  name  I  may  not  mention.  It  is 
enough  to  say  that  he  is  my  friend,  and  that  no  gentleman  of 
honor  will  hear  his  friends  slandered  behind  their  backs.  In 
this  case  I  know  they  lied.  I  so  expressed  myself,  and  I 
reiterate  what  I  have  said  before.  They  are  contemptible 
liars." 

"My  God!  Lashum,  are  you  a  Southern  man?  Have  you 
any  blood  in  your  veins?  Will  you  allow  your  name  to  be 
handed  down  in  this  College  as  a  contemptible  liar?"  again 
urged  the  Tennessee  boy. 

"Oh,  this  is  not  the  first  lie  he  has  told,  nor  will  it  be  the 
last  while  at  this  school,"  said  Battles." 

"Well,  fellows,  these  gentlemen,  by  their  silence,  acknowl- 
edge that  what  Mr.  Battles  says  is  true.  There  can  be  but 
one  conclusion  for  you  to  reach,  which  is  that  they  have  lied 
on  somebody.  Who  it  is  does  not  matter.  What  will  be  your 
decision  ? ' ' 

"That  hereafter  all  honorable  students  refuse  to  believe 
anything  they  have  to  say  unless  corroborated  by  a  third 
person,"  spoke  up  the  long  Yankee  boy. 

This  decision  was  mild  in  form,  but  severe  in  operation.  No 
matter  what  they  said,  even  that  the  weather  was  cold,  would 
be  met  by  the  retort,  "Whom  have  you  to  vouch  for  that 
statement  ? ' ' 

After  the  boys  had  separated,  Buck  said  to  Bloxum: 

"That  *  nigger'  always  gets  the  best  of  us.  We  will  fix 
him  yet." 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  59 

"Buck,  let's  go  to  Elmyra  tonight  and  have  some  fun/'  said 
Bloxum. 

1 '  I  don 't  care.  We  can  stay  until  Sunday  night, ' '  answered 
Buck. 

Elmyra  is  a  town  about  eight  miles  from  Oberlin,  in  another 
county,  where  the  students  of  loose  habits  go  for  relaxation. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FTER  the  train  bearing  Malcolm  and  Abe  had  left 
the  station  and  they  were  off  for  Oberlin  College, 
Buck  and  the  Smaly  boys  watched  until  it  disap- 
peared around  the  curve  at  Coon's  Tree. 

"Well,  that's  the  limit,"  said  Buck;  "  'niggers'  going  off 
to  College !  Did  you  hear  to  what  College  they  were  going  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  to  the  Oberling  School,  or  some  sich  place,"  said  one 
of  the  Smalys. 

"Is  that  so?  Why,  I  am  going  to  that  school.  Who  told 
you  that  ?  I  '11  go  home  and  tell  pappy  and  he  will  see  about 
'niggers'  going  to  school  with  his  son.  I  bet  he  won't  stay 
there  long.  Yo'll  see,"  said  Buck,  as  he  mounted  his  horse 
and  left  in  great  haste. 

When  he  reached  home  he  found  his  father  sitting  on  the 
fence  by  the  hog  sty — the  old  man  not  having  been  able  to 
outgrow  his  early  habits — together  with  several  kindred 
spirits,  discussing  the  resolutions  published  by  the  citizens  who 
had  met  at  the  home  of  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  Sr. 

"I  say  that  them  people  they  think  that  they  is  goin'  to 
run  things  to  suit  theyselves.  But  as  sure  as  my  name  be 
Nick  Lashum  they  is  mistook.  Ole  Mai  Overley,  he's  at  the 
bottom  of  this  heah  whole  d —  business.  He's  a  mighty  white 
man,  he  is.  Sendin'  'niggers'  off  to  College!  D —  if  I  don't 
fix  him  yeah  a  'ter  nex '.  Yo  '11  see !  I  '11 ' ' 

Just  at  that  moment  Buck  dashed  into  the  barnyard,  his 
horse  almost  ready  to  drop  from  hard  riding. 

"What  ails  yer,  boy?  What  yer  ridin'  that  critter  like 
that  fer?" 

"  'Nuff  ails  me.  Malcolm  Overley  has  gone  to  Oberling 
College  with  that  'nigger'  Abe.  Do  you  think  I  want  to  go 
to  school  with  'niggers'?"  yelled  Buck. 

60 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  61 

"Yes  jis'  knowed  that?  Why,  I  mistook  yer  haid  fer  a 
place  fer  brains.  Yer  lettle  sister  Arabella,  she  told  me  that 
two  weeks  ago.  What  yer  think  I  kin  do  'bout  it  now?  Go 
on  to  College  and  see  what  they  do  with  them  'niggers,'  then 
let  me  know,  and  I'll  settle  the  whole  matter  then.  That's 
what  yer  do." 

"Yes,  pappy,  but  that  'nigger'  is  at  the  same  school, 
and  I " 

"How  long  yer  been  runnin'  this  heah  place?  Yer  better 
a  darn  sight  do  as  yer  is  tole  an'  not  stop  to  augrify  wid  yer 
betters.  I  know  mor'n  a  minit  than  yo'll  git  outen  books  in 
a  lifetime.  Yer  rub  thet  air  critter  out  and  see  that  she  don 't 
git  stiff  'morrow  mornin'.  I  won't  have  my  critters  worked 
that  way.  'Pears  to  me  thet  I  have  sed  thet  off  en  'miff,"  said 
the  father  with  warmth. 

Mr.  Nick  Lashum  prided  himself  on  the  fact  that  he  was 
the  boss.  There  was  but  one  person  on  his  place  over  whom 
he  had  no  control,  and  that  was  an  old  Negro  woman,  of 
uncertain  age,  the  mother  of  several  doubtful  looking  chil- 
dren of  variegated  colors,  who  resembled  the  Lashum  family. 
This  old  woman  claimed  that  she  had  known  Nick  Lashum 
since  ' '  long  'fore  de  wah ' '  and  that  he  was  bound  to  take  care 
of  her  until  she  died.  All  of  which  appears  to  be  true,  from 
the  fact  that  she  lived  in  a  cabin  within  a  stone's  throw  of 
Nick's  wife  and  children,  without  doing  labor  of  any  kind,  and 
having  free  access  to  everything  on  the  place.  This  old 
woman,  who  was  known  in  war  times,  when  she  traveled  about 
the  State  with  Nick  Lashum,  as  Black  Sue,  and  who  appeared 
to  know  a  great  deal  of  Nick's  innermost  affairs,  was  a  char- 
acter within  herself.  No  person  on  the  place  appeared  to 
know  exactly  where  she  came  from  nor  on  whose  place  she 
lived  before  the  war.  Suffice  it  to  say,  when  Nick  came  into 
possession  of  his  present  home,  she  came  with  her  six  lean,  yel- 
low children  and  took  the  cabin  in  which  we  find  her,  as  her 


62 


AS     WE     SEE    IT. 


share  of  Nick's  assets,  and  lived  there  with  her  growing 
family.  We  shall  see  something  of  her  later. 

Buck,  not  having  gained  his  point,  and  only  succeeding  in 
arousing  the  wrath  of  his  parent,  took  the  mare  to  the  stable 
yard  and  proceeded  to  obey  his  father's  injunction — to  rub 
her  out. 

After  Buck's  departure,  Nick  Lashum  and  his  cronies 
resumed  their  talk. 

"Why,  in  course,  Ole  Mai  is  the  bottom  of  the  whole  darn 
thing,"  said  Si  Weedles,  a  citizen  of  large  family  and  small 
resources,  whose  business  was  cross-road  politics  and  juryman ; 
"and,  furdermore,  I  hear  that  little  Joe  Wheatley  is  to  run 
'gin  Casper  Lashum  for  sheriff." 

"The  h—  yer  say,  Si,"  said  Nick;  "who  toP  yer  so?" 

"Wai,  I  dunno  'zackly  who  it  war  that  toP  me,  but  I  hear'n 
hit  today.  That's  what  I  earned  heah  fer — to  talk  this  thing 
over.  I  toP  them  darn  hothead  Smalys  and  Wardemans  to 
let  them  'niggers'  alone;  thet  thet  hoss  was  BurrelPs,  and  sich 
doin's  war  goin'  to  make  trouble.  Now  this  is  only  the  begin- 
nin'.  Yo'll  see,"  said  Weedles. 

"So,  that's  what  the  matter  wid  them  'big  bugs,'  is  hit? 
Takin'  up  fer  'niggers,'  hey?  Leetle  Joe  Wheatley?  Him's 
the  one  they  expects  to  beat  Gas  fer  sheriff  ?  Wai,  I  mus '  say 
them  people  is  smart.  That  darn  boy's  suttenly  well  thought 
on  in  this  heah  county.  Doggon,  if  Gas  an'  his  pals  ain't  got 
to  git  out  an'  hustle,"  said  Nick. 

"Yes,  time  fer  'lection  on'y  nex'  mont',  and  we  jus'  knowed 
who  is  goin'  to  run  'gin  him,"  said  Weedles.  "I,  fer  one,  is 
goin'  to  git  my  coat  off  an'  go  to  woric.  All  we  is  got  to  say 
is,  that  they  is  takin'  up  fer  'niggers'  an'  we  will  beat  'em 
shoV 

"Si,  yer  tell  all  the  boys  to  meet  heah  Sunday  arter  nex'  on 
matters  of  great  'portance,"  said  Nick,  as  the  friends  sepa- 
rated. 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  63 

On  the  Sunday  afternoon,  long  before  the  appointed  time, 
the  good  citizens  of  the  county  began  to  gather  at  the  home  of 
Nick  Lashum.  The  first  to  arrive  was  Si  Weedles,  clad  in  his 
best,  which  consisted  of  a  large  hat,  a  large  pair  of  boots,  a 
large  pair  of  pants,  which  were  suspiciously  like  a  pair  that 
Sheriff  Lashum  used  to  pride  himself  upon  owning,  a  hickory 
shirt  and  a  large  corn-cob  pipe.  Attired  in  this  outfit,  the 
Alabama  statesman  appeared  early,  because  his  self-imposed 
duties,  as  handy  man,  ex-oificio,  at  all  political  meetings,  were 
well  understood  by  himself.  Soon  the  big  barn  loft,  an  ideal 
place  for  an  Alabama  political  council,  was  well  filled.  There 
were  great  men  galore — judges  and  former  judges,  clerks  of 
courts  and  former  clerks  of  courts,  sheriffs  and  former 
sheriffs,  justices  of  the  peace  and  former  justices  of  the  peace, 
road  commissioners,  school  commissioners,  lawyers,  doctors, 
school  teachers  and  plain  country  gentlemen — all  come  to  see 
the  lights  of  the  Alabama  Democracy  flash,  flutter,  glimmer, 
sputter  and  finally  become  extinguished. 

The  hour  soon  arrived  for  business  to  be  proceeded  with. 
Without  the  formality  of  the  election  of  a  chairman,  Nick 
Lashum,  by  virtue  of  the  meeting  being  held  'neath  his  vine 
and  fig  tree, '  and  by  virtue  also  of  his  acknowledged  superior 
ability,  took  upon  himself  the  right  to  conduct  the  meeting. 
He  said:  "Gents,  we  is  hyre  on  a  mos'  momentous  occasion. 
Dese  hyre  'big  bugs'  is  not  satis'  by  the  way  things  is  bein' 
run  in  this  hyre  county.  If  I  war  not  satis'  I  would  move 
outen  the  county.  I  don't  give  a  doggon  fer  any  of  them. 
They  is  stuck  up  and  has  been  always." 

"Right!    Right!"  came  from  the  crowd. 

"Now,  they  is  goin  'to  try  to  beat  Gas  Lashum  fer  sheriff. 
And  who  is  they  goin'  to  run  agin'  him?  Leetle  Joe  Wheat- 
ley.  Is  he  one  of  us  ? " 

"No!    No!"  responded  the  hearers. 

"Wai,  we  is  got  to  git  t'gether  an'  beat  the  whole  darn 
bunch.  I  tell  yer,  fellers,  that  if  them  people  ever  gits  us  onct 


64  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

yer  will  be  jus'  lek  yer  war  'fore  de  war.  I  knows  what  I'se 
talkin '  'bout.  I  war  hyre  on  the  spot  at  that  there  time.  You 
boys  that  has  been  to  school  off  en  yer  po'  pappy 's  labor,  may 
snikker  an'  grin  kase  yer  ain't  got  no  more  sense.  Now,  gents, 
this  whole  thing  is  up  to  yo'll." 

After  a  few  moments'  silence,  a  young  man  by  the  name 
of  Goodrich  called  out: 

"Mr.  Chairman,  I  move  that  we  do  now  proceed  to  the 
election  of  officers."  Silence.  "I  therefore  place  in  nomina- 
tion for  chairman  the  Honorable  Judge — 

"No  yer  don't  do  no  sich  a  darn  thing,"  said  Nick;  "I'se 
the  cheerman  of  this  hyre  meetin',  an'  Nickolas  Lashum, 
Junior,  is  the  s'c'tay.  Ain't  that  right,  fellers?" 

"Sho'  yer  is,"  spoke  up  Si  Weedles;  "an'  anybody  thet 
don 't  lek  them  officers,  we  puts  out.  We  don 't  'pose  ter  have 
this  hyre  meetin'  'sturbed  by  nobody." 

Mr.  Goodrich  relapsed  into  a  discreet  silence,  but  remarked 
to  his  companion,  "That  he'd  be  d —  if  he  would  vote  for  such 
people."  The  chairman  announced  that  the  coming  election 
was  for  Sheriff,  County  Judge,  and  one  Road  and  School 
Commissioner  each.  Whom  would  they  nominate  to  run  for 
these  offices?  The  all-important  matter  to  Nick  and  his 
friends  was  the  office  of  Sheriff.  To  bring  about  Casper's 
nomination  was  their  determination. 

Si  Weedles  was  on  his  feet  at  once. 

1  *  Mr.  Cheerman :  I  rases  to  my  feet  f er  the  puppus  of  put- 
tin'  in  nomination,  fer  Sheriff,  that  battled-scarred  hero,  that 
patriotic  citizen  an'  farmer,  that  Alabamy  gent  an'  financier, 
that  stock  raiser  an'  father,  that  man  of  the  world  an'  the 
Church,  him  no  other  than  the  man  that  carried  the  blood- 
stained banner  of  Alabama  'mocracy  down  to  victory,  him 
no  other  than  the  man  that  has  always  kept  'nuff  'niggers'  in 
the  chain  gang  to  woric  the  roads  so  no  white  men  don't  have 
no  woric  to  do  on  the  roads,  him  no  other  than  the  one  that 
knows  how  to  keep  '  niggers '  in  they  places,  him  no  other  than 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  65 

the  man  thet  ain't  heppen'  no  'niggers'  'gin  white  men,  him 
no  other  than  the  wise  an'  provident  Casper  Lahsum." 

After  this  flash  of  eloquence,  the  yell,  so  well  known, 
peculiar  to  the  savages  of  the  West  and  the  " crackers"  of 
the  South,  was  given  with  such  good  will  that  the  barn  seemed 
to  vibrate  with  its  volume.  Not  a  voice  raised  in  opposition 
to  this  nomination.  Nick  declared,  as  soon  as  he  could  be 
heard,  that  the  unanimous  "voice"  of  the  caucus  was  Casper 
Lashum.  The  hold-over  officers,  Judge  and  Commissioners, 
were  renominated.  Nick  then  adjourned  the  meeting  sine  die. 
Just  twenty-three  minutes  had  elapsed  since  the  meeting  was 
called  to  order.  The  County  Bulletin,  the  official  organ  of  the 
county,  had  the  following  announcement : 

"At  a  convention,  attended  by  hundreds  of  delegates  (self- 
appointed)  from  all  parts  of  the  county,  held  in  the  large  hall 
on  Mr.  Nick  Lashum 's  place,  the  following  persons  were  named 
as  candidates  for  the  offices  of  Sheriff,  Judge,  Road  and  School 
Commissioners : 

Casper  Lashum,  Sheriff. 

Josephus  Wiggles,  Judge. 

William  Runeasy,  Road  Commissioner. 

Jackson  Contention,  School  Commissioner." 

Young  Goodrich  and  his  friends  engaged  in  a  very  warm 
discussion  as  they  drove  away  from  the  Lashum  place,  declar- 
ing they  would  do  all  in  their  power  to  defeat  Casper  Lashum 
for  Sheriff. 


CHAPTER  X. 

YOUNG  GOODRICH  and  his  friends,  true  to  their  deter- 
mination, set  about  to  defeat  Casper  Lashum  for 
Sheriff.  Knowing  well  the  strength  of  the  Lashum 
following,  they  were  compelled  to  resort  to  strategy.  First, 
they  made  a  canvass  of  all  the  better  class  of  people  in  the 
county  and  obtained  their  promises  to  vote  for  Little  Joe 
Wheatley  when  the  time  came;  but  in  the  canvass,  up  to  the 
last  day,  they  were  to  appear  to  be  staunch  followers  of  the 
Lashums.  Judge  Wiggles  and  his  supporters,  who  had  long 
wished  for  an  opportunity  to  throw  off  the  Lashum  yoke,  also 
promised  to  come  out  at  the  proper  time  and  advocate  the 
election  of  Wheatley.  So  well  was  this  game  of  politics 
played,  so  complete  was  Goodrich 's  organization,  that  the 
Lashums  did  not  suspect  that  the  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of 
the  "big  bugs"  meant  defeat  for  their  kinsman. 

The  evening  before  the  election  the  County  Bulletin  came 
out  with  a  burning  editorial  denunciatory  of  the  Lashum 
regime,  denouncing  their  methods  and  charging  that  for 
years  they  had  been  corrupt  in  office.  So  sudden  and  com- 
plete was  the  attack,  coming  from  so  many  unlooked-for 
sources,  that  Lashum  and  his  followers  were  at  a  loss  to  know 
how  to  combat  the  new  issue.  Nick  Lashum,  Casper  Lashum. 
Si  Weedles  and  a  few  others,  among  them  the  Smalys  and 
Wardemans,  met  at  Nick  Lashum 's,  down  by  the  pig  sty, 
Nick's  favorite  corner,  and  engaged  in  a  lively  discussion. 
The  Smalys  were  in  favor  of  going  immediately  to  the  office 
of  the  County  Bulletin,  get  the  "nigger"  who  carried  the 
copies  of  the  paper  about  the  county  to  the  subscribers  and 
hang  him,  as  he  was  responsible  for  the  paper  being  in  the 
hands  of  all  the  white  people  in  the  county  who  could  read. 
After  a  very  lengthy  argument,  it  was  finally  decided  that, 
should  the  Lashums  lose,  the  "nigger,"  the  driver  of  the 

66 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  67 

wagon  owned  by  the  publishers  of  the  County  Bulletin,  should 
be  taught  a  lesson — should  be  taught  not  to  distribute  papers 
unfavorable  to  Lashum  and  his  followers.  The  ownership  of 
the  paper,  of  the  horse  and  wagon  and  of  the  paper  route, 
never  entered  into  their  thoughts.  The  ' '  nigger ' '  was  respon- 
sible, wholly  and  entirely.  They  vowed  to  run  him  out  of 
the  county. 

When  the  votes  were  counted  the  following  day  it  was  found 
that  Casper  Lashum  had  been  defeated  by  54  votes,  while  his 
associates  on  the  ticket  had  been  elected  without  a  dissenting 
vote. 

Si  Weedles  reported  that  great  fraud  had  been  practiced, 
inasmuch  as  a  report  had  been  put  in  circulation,  by  Good- 
rich, that  the  Lashums  were  trying  to  steal  the  County  Court 
House  and  that  Nick  Lashum  had  a  deed  already  drawn  which 
he  would  put  on  file  as  soon  as  his  brother  was  re-elected — all 
of  which  the  "crackers"  believed  and  acted  upon. 

Little  Joe  Wheatley's  election  to  the  office  of  Sheriff  gave 
the  Negroes  great  satisfaction.  It  forecasted,  for  them,  a  pos- 
sible chance  of  a  "square  deal." 

They  were  not  disappointed. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

S  WE  turn  our  attention  again  to  the  boys  at  Oberlin 
we  find  the  school  year  has  come  to  a  close.  Buck 
and  Bloxum  barely  passed  their  examinations,  and 
were  severely  lectured  by  the  Dean,  though  they  were  per- 
mitted to  go  on  with  their  classes.  Malcolm  and  Abe  made 
good  marks  and  were  congratulated  by  the  Dean.  Each  bore 
a  letter  from  the  Dean  to  his  father  commending  him  and 
urging  his  return  the  next  school  year.  Their  homecoming 
was  made  a  time  for  rejoicing.  Each  person  on  the  place 
vied  with  the  other  in  his  endeavor  to  make  them  welcome. 
The  parents  of  the  two  boys  were  greatly  elated  over  the  record 
made  by  their  respective  sons.  The  vacation  time  passed  very 
quickly,  and  the  boys  could  hardly  realize  it  was  over  when 
told  to  get  ready  to  return  to  school.  Malcolm  and  Miss 
Donewell  had  become  great  friends,  and  he  had  promised  to 
return  a  few  days  before  the  school  term  began  in  order  that 
he  might  spend  some  time  with  her  in  pleasure-seeking. 


68 


CHAPTER  XII. 

'HEN  the  time  for  homegoing  drew  near  Buck  Lashum 
extended  invitations  to  several  young  men  whose 
acquaintance  he  had  made  while  at  the  College  to  be 
his  guests  for  a  week  at  his  father's  plantation.  Bloxum  was 
the  first  to  accept;  but  his  railroad  tickets  were  not  forth- 
coming and  they  were  stumbling  blocks  which  he  set  about 
to  remove.  He  knew  that  his  parents  could  not  spare  the 
money  to  cover  the  expense  of  this  trip,  nor  would  they  permit 
him  to  go  South  with  Buck  if  they  had  to  make  a  further 
sacrifice  than  they  were  making  in  sending  him  to  College. 
He  had,  however,  another  reason  for  wanting  to  go.  He  was 
aware  that  he  would  have  to  work  if  he  went  home  for  the 
summer  vacation,  and  he  therefore  determined  that  Buck 
should  bear  this  expense  for  the  trip,  and  also  that  he  would 
stay  the  whole  vacation  through.  Buck  and  Bloxum  had 
formed  the  habit  of  going  to  Elmyra  to  spend  Saturday  night 
and  Sunday  in  "recreation."  On  a  return  trip,  after  one  of 
these  carousals,  when  Buck  was  feeling  exceptionally  good, 
Bloxum  opened  the  subject  by  remarking: 

"Buck,  I  am  compelled  to  ask  you  to  withdraw  your  invi- 
tation to  me  to  take  that  trip  down  to  your  plantation." 

' t  No  yer  don 't.  What 's  the  matter  with  yer  ?  Haven 't  yer 
passed  yer  word  that  yer  would  come?  Haven't  yer  learned 
yet  that  a  gentleman  never  goes  back  on  his  words?  Didn't 
I  write  pappy  that  yer  particular  was  coming?  Now,  what 
yer  goin'  to  back  out  fer?" 

This  was  just  the  position  Bloxum  wanted  Buck  to  take. 

' '  Of  course,  I  know  all  these  things ;  that  is  just  the  reason 
I  am  telling  you  now.  I  am  so  sorry.  I  wanted,  above  all 
things,  to  meet  your  sister  Clemmie.  I  know  she  must  bo  a 
stunning  girl — and  little  Arabella — Oh,  well;  I  guess  I  must 
forego  all  these  pleasures." 

69 


70  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

All  this  was  said  solemnly,  with  a  view  of  impressing  Buck. 

"Why,  Bloxum,  what  is  the  matter  with  yer?  Hope 
nobody  ain't  daid." 

"No,  nobody's  dead,  but  the  fact  of  the  matter  is,  we  have 
been  burned  out;  that  is,  our  barn  and  farm  implements 
have  been  burned.  Father  says  in  his  letter,  '  Come  home  and 
go  to  work.'  ' 

Then  Bloxum  soliloquized: 

"Just  to  think  of  it !  Two  months  rest — Clemmie  and  Ara- 
bella— and  nothing  to  do — with  'niggers'  to  wait  on  me! 
Now,  two  months  work — work  from  morning  till  night — all 
because  I  lack  a  few  paltry  dollars.  Father  says  he  cannot 
possibly  send  me  one  cent,  but  to  come  home  and  go  to  work. ' ' 

Then  he  added: 

"Why  are  you  grinning?  Can  you  see  anything  funny  in 
that  ?  I  will  not  see  Clemmie  nor  Arabella  for  another  year. ' ' 

"I  am  not  laffin'  at  yer,"  said  Buck.  "I  am  pleased  to 
know  that  is  all.  Why,  I  can  fix  any  moneys  all  right." 

"What  you  take  me  fer?  Think  I  am  a  'nigger'?  Going 
to  let  you  buy  my  tickers  and " 

"Yer  shut  up;  ain't  yer  my  guest?  How  yer  get  down 
there  is  not  yer  business.  I'm  responsible  fer  yer  'til  nex' 
year.  So  that  ends  it.  Yer  write  yer  pappy  and  tell  him 

that  yer  is  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Buck  Lashum,  of  A 

County,  Alabamy." 

"Buck,  you  must  be  a  great  man  down  in  your  county. 

When  you  get  through  College  the  people  of  A County 

will  see  that  you  go  to  Congress  from  your  district.  I  tell 
you,  Buck,  you  are  a  wonder." 

"Yer  can  bet  I  am  going  to  run  things  when  I  git  out  o' 
College,"  said  Buck. 

' '  Yes ;  when  I  come  down  their  electioneering  for  you,  then 
you  can  pay  my  expenses;  and  you  can  then  present  me  to 
Clemmie  and  Arabella." 

"Bloxum,  I  tell  yer  I  don't  want  no  more  fool  talk.     Yer 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  71 

goes  with  me  as  my  guest.  Pappy  say  fer  me  to  bring  yer. 
I  will  write  yer  mammy  and  tell  her  that  I  will  look  after  her 
little  boy."  And  Buck  laughed  at  his  own  cleverness. 

When  Bloxum  left  Buck,  he  laughed  long  and  heartily  to 
himself  at  his  success  in  obtaining  Buck's  promise  to  take  him 
South  as  his  guest. 

"Well,  that  fellow  is  easy,  sure  enough.  But  that  gives  me 
an  idea.  If  I  can  handle  him  so  easy,  what  may  I  not  do  with 
the  whole  bunch  of  '  meadow  hogs '  in  a  year  or  two  ?  What  in 
the  world  does  Clemmie  look  like?  Wonder  how  she  dresses? 
Old  man  Lashum  must  have  lots  of  money.  Bet  your  life  I 
will  find  out  this  summer." 

Such  thoughts  ran  through  Bloxum 's  mind  until  he  finally 
fell  asleep.  Buck,  being  of  the  same  state  of  mind,  congratu- 
lated himself  upon  the  clever  way  he  had  induced  Bloxum  to 
accept  his  hospitality. 

"Bloxum  is  too  darn  sensitive.  But  I  must  take  him  down 
there,  or  pappy  will  say  that  I  lied  when  I  wrote  that  I  was 
the  leader  of  all  the  Southern  boys  in  the  College.  I  don't 
know  about  that  Tennessee  fellow;  he  is  so  darn  proper  and 
stuck  up,  he  may  refuse.  Anyway,  I  can  get  four  or  five  to 
go;  that  will  prove  what  I  wrote  pappy." 

Buck  was  much  concerned  lest  the  young  man  from  Ten- 
nessee and  a  few  others,  who  belonged  to  old  aristocratic  fami- 
lies, should  refuse  his  invitation,  as  he  had  written  home 
giving  the  names  of  the  young  men  whom  his  father  might 
expect  as  his  son's  guests  for  one  week. 

"Well,  DeVaux,"  said  the  Tennesseean  to  his  Louisiana 
friend,  "I  hear  that  you  propose  to  visit  that  Lashum  fellow 
at  his  home  this  summer  for  one  week  ? ' ' 

"Not  guilty,"  said  DeVaux;  "what  do  you  take  me  for? 
How  long  since  I  commenced  to  take  these  'crackers'  on  terms 
of  'Social  Equality'?  I  am  under  obligations  to  you,  since  I 
got  the  invitation  through  your  friendship  for  him. ' ' 


72  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

"Oh,  of  course,  I  am  responsible  for  all  your  ills.  Did  I 
also  make  you  acquainted  with  Miss  Donewell?  Did  I  also 
cause  Overley  to  cut  you  out?"  laughed  DeVaux's  friend. 
"But,  seriously,  DeVaux,  you  had  the  lead  until  Overley  and 
Forbes  pulled  her  out  of  Black  River;  then  your  colors  fell. 
Why  did  you  surrender  so  quickly  ? ' ' 

' '  Why  ?  Because  the  young  lady  seemed  to  want  somebody 
else.  My  pride  would  not  permit  me  to  wait  until  I  was 
snubbed,"  answered  DeVaux;  then  added:  "What  do  you 
intend  to  do  about  your  invitation  to  visit  Lashum  •? ' ' 

"Visit  Lashum?  Why  I  never  took  the  proposition  seri- 
ously. I  have  no  intentions  of  accepting  an  invitation  of  any 
kind  from  him.  Who  is  going  to  accept?" 

"Bloxum,  I  guess,"  answered  DeVaux ;  "he  has  the  one 
chance  left.  He  was  saying  to  me  that  he  thought  New 
Orleans  a  most  beautiful  city.  When  I  asked  him  if  he  had 
ever  visited  that  city,  he  answered  by  saying  that  he  had  not, 
but  would  as  soon  as  he  got  acquainted  with  some  native  of 
the  soil.  I  did  not  continue  the  conversation  further.  You 
can  bet  he  will  go  with  Lashum." 

Their  talk  drifted  into  other  channels,  and  Bloxum  and 
Buck  were  forgotten. 

The  time  soon  rolled  around  for  the  boys  to  leave  for  thei* 
respective  homes.  Bloxum  had  finally  agreed  to  let  Buck  do 
the  honors  for  the  summer,  and  they  left  the  College  together. 
When  they  reached  their  destination,  they  were  met  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Nick  Lashum,  Sr.,  Clemmie  and  Arabella.  Bloxum 
was  not  prepared  for  the  sight  that  met  his  gaze.  Nick 
Lashum,  Sr.,  with  his  large  boots  and  small  legs;  Mrs.  Nick 
Lashum,  Sr.,  with  her  plaid  shawl  and  blue  skirt ;  Clemmie — 
the  divine  creature — with  her  bangs  and  curls,  topped  by  a 
picture  hat  of  flowers,  ribbons  and  velvet,  a  yellow  gown 
trimmed  in  brown,  a  costume  calculated  to  cause  all  the  girls 
of  her  class  in  A County  to  envy  her. 

He  could  not  get  his  eyes  off  this  vision.     Was  this  the  girl 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  73 

upon  whom  he  had  set  his  mind,  through  Buck's  description 
of  her?  If  he  had  had  the  means  he  would  have  gone  back 
home  by  the  next  train.  Bloxum,  although  of  a  very  small 
nature,  was  bright  and  intellectual,  and  had  had  the  benefit 
of  excellent  home  training.  He  was  shocked  at  the  sight  that 
presented  itself  to  him;  but  when  Clemmie  came  down  to 
breakfast  next  morning  in  evening  dress  with  rings  on  all  four 
fingers,  Bloxum  was  astounded. 

Arabella,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  was  by  nature  a  very 
handsome  child,  and  seemed  to  know,  instinctively,  what  she 
looked  well  in,  and  she  did  look  very  attractive  in  a  plain 
white  frock.  Nick,  Sr.,  was  disappointed,  because  Buck  did 
not  bring  with  him  all  the  friends  he  had  led  his  father  to 
expect.  Buck  explained  that  the  boys  had  been  ordered  to 
come  home  from  College  and  they  were  to  visit  him  on  their 
way  back  in  the  fall. 

Bloxum  spent  most  of  his  time  sleeping,  when  not  riding 
about  the  country  with  Arabella.  And  while  thoroughly  dis- 
appointed and  disgusted  with  his  surroundings  and  the  condi- 
tions amidst  which  he  found  himself  in  Alabama,  conditions 
so  totally  different  from  anything  he  had  ever  before  seen  or 
heard  of,  he  yet  found  much  to  amuse  and  interest  him. 
Bloxum  frankly  confessed  to  himself  that  he  enjoyed  the 
company  of  Arabella,  a  creature  so  entirely  different  from 
the  rest  of  that  strange  brood. 

As  the  time  for  them  to  return  to  College  drew  near  the 
elder  Lashum  began  to  question  Buck  about  his  school  friends. 
Buck  was  sure  they  would  arrive  on  schedule  time,  pretending 
to  receive  letters  to  that  effect.  At  the  last  moment  Buck 
received  a  telegram  requesting  him  to  join  the  class  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  at  a  class  reunion.  This  appeared  to  satisfy  the 
senior  Lashum,  and  he  therefore  sent  Buck  and  Bloxum  north 
a  week  earlier  than  the  time  set  for  their  departure.  Buck 
and  his  friend  made  good  use  of  this  time  in  Cleveland  and 
other  places. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

FEW  days  before  the  time  set  for  the  College  boys  to 
resume  their  studies  a  discussion  was  precipitated 
by  Buck  and  Bloxum,  in  which  feeling  ran  very  high. 

These  boys,  not  having  anything  in  particular  to  occupy 
their  minds,  soon  began  to  look  about  for  amusement.  In  the 
Mess  Hall  there  were  six  or  eight  boys  who  "waited  table"  to 
help  pay  their  expenses  at  College.  Among  them  were  two 
Negroes,  one  a  green  Southern  boy  with  all  the  fears  grounded 
in  him  that  characterize  a  great  many  Negro  boys  from  the 
South. 

The  other  boy  was  a  Westerner,  who  knew  nothing  of  the 
environment  in  which  his  co-laborer  had  formerly  lived.  Buck 
had  time  and  again  addressed  the  Southern  boy  as  "nigger," 
and  assumed  that  the  other  boy  could  be  so  addressed.  In 
this  he  made  a  mistake,  and  his  mistake  cost  him  one  of  the 
worst  beatings  he  had  ever  received,  and  this  .one  was  particu- 
larly humiliating  because  it  came  from  a  despised  Negro. 

He  tried  to  forget  what  happened  to  him  at  the  hands  of 
this  boy,  but  was  unable  to  do  so,  nor  would  his  fellow  students 
allow  him  to  forget.  This  encounter  led  to  a  discussion  of 
races  that  brought  out  the  views  of  nearly  every  boy  in  the 
College. 

Bloxum  led  off  in  a  wordy  defense  of  Buck. 

"I  tell  you,  fellers,  that  I  am  going  to  take  this  case  to  the 
Dean.  That  fellow — he  was  careful  to  say  fellow — hit  Buck 
for  no  reason  whatever,  and  hit  him  when  he  was  not  looking. 
He  should  be  expelled." 

"No,  he  didn't  hit  your  friend  when  he  was  not  looking," 
said  the  long  Yankee  boy.  "I  saw  the  whole  mill.  Your 
friend  was  given  time  to  withdraw  the  insult,  but  would  not. 
He  got  all  that  was  coming  to  him.  I  say  no  advantage  was 
taken  of  him." 

74 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  VO 

' '  I  tell  you  there  was, ' '  Bloxum  answered ; ' '  and  I  can  prove 
it.  You  are  a  nice  white  man,  taking  up  for  these  people  all 
the  time." 

"I  take  up  for  whom  I  please,  and  don't  you  question  me 
about  my  actions.  You  saw,  as  I  saw,  that  those  men  were 
facing  each  other  when  your  friend  was  slapped.  The  idea ! 
Let  anybody  slap  him  and  never  hit  back!  That's  Southern 
blood  for  you!" 

"Well,  Southern  people  feel  that  it  is  beneath  them  to  have 
personal  encounters  with  Negroes,"  spoke  up  DeVaux. 

' '  That  is  a  peculiar  kind  of  reasoning — peculiar  to  Southern 
people.  'Beneath  their  dignity'  to  fight  single-handed  with  a 
Negro,  but  not  'beneath  their  dignity'  to  insult  and  ill-treat 
him  and  even  take  his  life,  when  in  a  company  of  three  and 
four,  or  even  in  a  mob  of  a  hundred ! ' '  answered  the  Yankee 
boy.  Then,  turning  to  the  Tennessee  boy,  he  said :  ' '  Say,  my 
friend,  can  you  explain  that  side  of  the  Southern  blood 
tome?" 

''No,  I  cannot,"  was  the  answer.  "But  I  want  you  to 
understand  that  the  picture  you  draw  is  not  a  true  one  of  all 
the  people  in  the  South.  Further,  I  want  you  to  understand 
that  Buck  Lashum  and  Bloxum  do  not  represent  me,  my 
family  nor  my  friends.  We  feel  that  it  is  as  much  beneath 
us  to  insult  a  Negro  as  it  is  to  fight  with  him." 

"Well,  I  guess  Buck  was  moved  by  your  high  ideals  when 
he  permitted  his  face  to  be  slapped  by  a  Negro,"  replied  the 
long  Yankee  boy.  "At  any  rate,  he  failed  to  hit  back." 

"I  have  never  been  able  to  understand  why  you  Southern 
boys,  particularly  of  a  certain  class,  are  always  and  continu- 
ally harping  on  the  Negro,"  said  Forbes;  "men  like  you, 
DeVaux,  and  your  friend  from  Tennessee,  talk  of  your  mam- 
mies and  your  aunties.  Overley,  over  there,  speaks  of  his 
Negro  friend  as  his  chum.  Lashum  and  Bloxum  always  speak 
of  Negroes  as  '  d —  niggers. '  Wherein  does  the  difference  lie  ? 
Is  it  in  these  Negroes,  or  is  it  in  your  people?" 

"Well,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  said  the  Tennesseean, 


76  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

"these  things  don't  worry  me  nor  do  they  worry  my  family 
or  friends.  We  work  on  the  principle  that  a  Negro  has  the 
same  right  to  live  and  enjoy  life  that  any  other  man  has.  We 
hire  him  and  pay  him  for  his  labor.  He  goes  about  his  busi- 
ness; we  go  about  ours.  When  he  is  trying  to  do  right  and 
we  know  he  is  an  honest  man  and  he  asks  our  aid,  we  give  it. 
WE  ALWAYS  AID  A  WORTHY  NEGRO.  When  we  see  that  he  is 
being  imposed  upon,  we  call  a  halt. 

' '  No,  indeed,  my  friend,  you  don 't  understand  the  nature  of 
this  race  of  people,"  continued  the  Tennessee  boy.  "They 
are  simple  and  they  are  not  simple.  Simply  because  they  will 
trust  your  word  implicitly,  do  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of 
business  with  your  'taking  your  word  for  it,'  but  remember- 
ing every  little  detail  in  the  transaction  for  years  back.  We 
never  break  our  word  given  with  them.  This  is  the  reason 
that  all  men  of  my  class  in  the  South  have  no  grievance  against 
the  Negro.  He  understands  us  and  we  understand  him. 
Lashum  and  Bloxum  can  speak  for  themselves." 

"My  pappy  says  'niggers'  ain't  got  no  right  to  live,"  said 
Lashum,  "let  alone  own  plantations  and  stock." 

"Why?"  asked  a  dozen  boys  at  once. 

"Because  they  are  'niggers,'  "  was  the  answer. 

"What  makes  them  'niggers'?"  asked  an  English  boy. 

"Why,  their  inferior  blood,  of  course,"  was  Buck's  answer. 

"Well,  that  may  be  from  your  point  of  view.  You  are 
white ;  your  blood  is  superior.  Thomas  L.  Jones,  who  gradu- 
ated from  this  College  last  year  and  who  was  rated  third  in 
his  class,  was  called  a  'nigger.'  He  was  whiter  than  you  are. 
What  made  him  a  'nigger'?" 

"Why,  his  mother's  blood,  of  course,"  Buck  answered. 

"His  mother's  blood?"  asked  the  English  boy.  "Why,  she 
was  a  quadroon,  as  white  as  you  are,  and  his  father  was  a 
Caucasian.  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  the  sixteen  drops  of 
your  superior  blood  will  be  overcome  by  his  one  drop  of 
inferior  blood?  Impossible!  Your  position  is  ridiculous. 
You  are  governed  by  a  blind  prejudice.  Get  rid  of  it!" 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

HORTLY  after  this  discussion  among  the  boys  concerning 
the  "status"  of  the  "niggers"  Malcolm  and  Abe,  after 
discussing  the  merits  and  demerits  of  the  arguments  of 
the  various  students  who  engaged  in  this  animated  discussion 
of  the  "Race  Question,"  continued: 

"Abe,"  said  Malcolm  suddenly,  "you  have  not  lived  up  to 
your  agreement  with  me." 

"I  have  not!     Why,  Malcolm,  what  can  you  mean?" 

"Well,  last  year  and  since  we  have  been  back  you  have 
steadfastly  refused  to  go  with  me  to  Miss  Donewell's  home, 
offering  one  excuse  and  then  another.  Now,  I  want  to  know 
what  is  the  trouble.  Has  Miss  Donewell  or  her  father  inti- 
mated to  you  that  you  are  not  welcome  ? ' ' 

1 '  Oh,  no ! "  exclaimed  Abe ;  "  on  the  contrary,  they  both  have 
asked  me  repeatedly  to  call  on  them  at  their  home.  I  have 
always  refused.  Why,  you  ask  me.  Malcolm,  do  you  think 
I  do  not  know  that  we  belong  to  two  separate  and  distinct 
races,  and  that  the  sentiment  in  the  section  from  which  we 
come  is  hostile  to  the  free  intermingling  of  the  races?  I,  of 
course,  know  that  you  do  not  consider  the  color  of  my  skin; 
but  there  are  others  who  do.  You  know  that  I  do  not  visit 
your  female  friends  down  at  your  old  home.  Why  should  I 
do  so  here  ?  Buck  Lashum  and  his  crowd  have  said  more  than 
once  that  you  invite  me  to  the  homes  of  white  women.  You 
can  resent  it ;  for  it  is  not  true. 

"Now,  as  to  my  reason.  Malcolm,  I  know  that  I  have  no 
better  friends,  nor  will  I  ever  have  better  friends,  than  you 
and  your  father.  I  believe  that  unless  something  unforeseen 
intervenes,  you  and  Miss  Donewell  will  some  day  become  man 
and  wife  and  reside  on  the  old  plantation.  I  know  the  harm 
that  will  be  done  her  should  the  report  precede  her  to  her 
future  home  that  she  took  me  on  ' Social  Equality.'  I,  there- 

7? 


78  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

fore,  ask  you  to  let  me  have  my  own  way  in  this  matter.  You 
know  that  I  have  always  insisted  that  no  good  could  possibly 
come  by  the  mingling  of  the  races  socially.  No,  Malcolm,  no 
good  can  possibly  come  from  my  accepting  these  invitations. ' ' 

"Yes,  Abe,  that  is  true  enough;  but  you  are  my  friend,  and 
I  insist  on  your  receiving  the  same  consideration  from  my 
friends  that  I  receive." 

' '  True,  you  have  so  insisted ;  but  can  you  recall  any  instance 
when  you  have  received  an  invitation  and  I  have  not  ?  Well, 
at  any  rate,  it  is  left  to  me  to  accept  or  refuse.  I  beg  of  you 
not  to  press  me  further.  I  say  that  I  do  not  feel,  and  will 
never  feel,  that  you  have  deserted  me.  You  would  feel  out 
of  place  in  the  homes  where  I  visit.  I  would  feel  out  of  place 
in  the  homes  that  you  visit.  I  trust  you  now  understand 
me/'  said  Abe. 

"I  understand  what  you  say.  Your  reason  may  be  a  good 
one,  but  if  I  see  fit  to  take  you  with  me,  who  has  the  right  to 
dispute  my  right  to  choose  a  companion?  Father  told  me 
that  I  was  to  see  that  you  were  accorded  the  same  treatment 
that  I  receive,  and " 

"Yes,  yes,  Malcolm;  but  he  never  meant  that  you  were  to 
take  me  into  the  same  society  with  you.  He  meant  school 
privileges.  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  young  ladies 
whom  I  visit." 

"Well,  Abe,  let  that  pass.  Where  did  you  get  the  idea  that 
I  would  some  day  marry  Miss  Donewell  ?  She  has  never  said 
that  she  would  marry  me." 

"She  will,  if  you  are  the  man  I  take  you  to  be.  Malcolm, 
if  you  do  not  win  her — well,  our  friendship  will  end.  She  is 
certainly  the  finest  woman,  save  one,  that  I  have  ever  met." 

' '  Hello !  Abe,  have  you  a  girl  ?  You  sly  dog !  You  never 
told  me  about  her.  Who  is  she  f  You  are  a  nice  one.  I  have 
been  telling  you  of  my  hopes  and  fears,  and  you  have  been 
hiding  your  lady  from  me.  I  do  not  think  you  have  been 
treating  me  square." 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  79 

"I  have  no  idea  in  the  world,  Malcolm,  that  the  young  lady 
whom  I  admire  ever  thinks  of  me  other  than  as  an  acquaint- 
ance. We  have  never  had  a  serious  talk  in  our  lives.  Miss 
Watson  is  her  name.  The  young  lady  who  led  her  class  last 
year.  But  for  the  color  of  their  skins  you  would  think  she 
and  Miss  Donewell  were  sisters." 

' 'Oh,  yes;  I  have  seen  her  at  Miss  Donewell's  house.  •  She 
has  avoided  me  on  more  than  one  occasion.  I  think  you  must 
have  put  her  up  to  it." 

"We  have  similar  ideas  along  certain  lines,  Malcolm.  But 
I  am  sure  she  never  intended  to  offend  you.  She  simply  feels, 
as  I  do,  that  no  good  can  possibly  come  by  the  mingling  of 
the  races  socially." 

"Abe,  I  guess  you  are  right,  after  all.  At  any  rate,  we 
now  understand  each  other  better.  Good  night,  old  fellow; 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  wish  you  all  the  succees  in  the 
world,"  said  Malcolm,  as  he  left  Abe  and  commenced  to 
prepare  himself  for  a  visit  to  Mr.  Donewell's  home. 

When  Abe  was  left  to  himself  he  sat  for  a  long  time  thinking 
of  what  Malcolm  had  said. 

"I  wonder,"  Abe  asked  himself,  "whether  he  will  ever 
change  toward  me.  I  do  not  believe  he  will.  I  feel  that  no 
matter  what  befalls  me,  Malcolm  will  still  be  my  friend." 

* '  Abe  is  a  curious  fellow, ' '  thought  Malcolm.  ' '  I  could  not 
induce  him  to  change  his  mind.  Well,  since  I  have  thought 
the  matter  over,  I  cannot  see  why  I  insisted  on  his  visiting 
these  young  ladies.  Mabel  is  all  right ;  but  the  rest  ?  I  think 
Abe  would  stand  by  me  against  a  regiment  of  cavalry.  He's 
true  blue." 

Malcolm  was  soon  on  his  way  to  Miss  Donewell 's  home.  He 
had  been  invited  to  meet  some  young  ladies  who  were  visiting 
Miss  Donewell  and  whose  home  was  in  New  York. 

Abe  had  also  received  an  invitation;  but,  as  we  have  seen, 
had  refused  to  accept. 


80 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


Upon  Malcolm's  arrival  he  was  asked  by  the  ladies  why  he 
had  not  brought  his  friend.  He  made  an  excuse  for  Abe  by 
saying  a  previous  engagement  or  something  to  that  effect  had 
kept  him  away.  The  visiting  ladies  had  heard  so  much  of 
Abe  through  Miss  Donewell  and  Malcolm  that  they  were 
curious  to  see  and  learn  something  more  about  him.  They 
were  very  much  disappointed  that  he  did  not  accept  the  invi- 
tation. Malcolm  was  asked  by  Miss  Donewell  if  he  could  not 
suggest  some  way  by  which  Abe  could  be  induced  to  visit  her 
guests,  as  they  were  very  anxious  to  meet  him.  After  some 
thought  Malcolm  suggested  that  Miss  Watson  be  invited  and 
that  she  be  requested  to  bring  Abe  with  her,  explaining  that 
the  visiting  ladies  and  no  one  else  be  present.  That  the  ladies 
wanted  to  hear  Miss  Watson  and  Abe  in  their  famous  duet,  the 
two  having  won  the  reputation  of  being  very  fine  singers.  One 
of  the  visiting  ladies  was  an  exceptionally  fine  pianiste  and 
a  delightful  musical  evening  was  promised.  Next  morning 
Abe  received  a  note  from  Miss  Watson  inviting  him  to  accom- 
pany her  to  Miss  Donewell 's  home  that  evening  to  meet  some 
ladies  of  the  musical  world.  Abe  was  very  fond  of  music,  and, 
as  Miss  Watson  was  to  be  there,  the  two  inducements  decided 
him  to  accept.  This  was  the  first  note  Abe  had  ever  received 
from  Miss  Watson,  so  he  hid  it  away  in  his  pocketbook,  little 
thinking  the  service  it  would  be  to  him  a  few  weeks  later. 

At  the  appointed  time  Miss  Watson  and  Abe  arrived  at  the 
Donewell  home,  where  they  found  the  ladies  waiting.  After 
several  choice  selections,  vocal  and  instrumental,  tea  was 
served.  Some  time  was  spent  in  a  very  spirited  conversation, 
after  which  Miss  Watson  and  Abe  left  to  join  some  friends 
at  the  home  of  Miss  Watson 's  friend,  Miss  Glenn. 

"Mabel,"    exclaimed   her  friends,    all    speaking   at    once. 
1 '  My  !     But  he  is  black !     He 's  your ' ' 

"Mabel,  his  voice  is  grand  and  his  manners  are " 

' '  Mabel,  where  was  he  educated  ?  He  acts  like  he  is  white ; 
his  table  manners  are " 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  81 

"Mabel,  I  never  saw  one  so  black.  Why,  his  skin  is 
just " 

"How  unfortunate  that  he  is  black,"  said  Mabel,  laugh- 
ingly, "else  what  a  scramble  you  four  girls  would  make  for 
him.  I  agree  with  you  girls,  he  is  all  you  say  and  more;  he 
is  a  young  man  of  exceptional  habits.  Now,  Miss  Scott,  I 
hope  you  are  satisfied ;  you  have  had  a  birthday  treat, ' '  added 
Mabel. 

' '  Yes, ' '  said  Miss  Scott ;  "  I  do  not  remember  ever  spending 
a  more  enjoyable  anniversary.  I  hope  to  always  remember  the 
two  hours,  7  to  9  p.  m.,  November  10,  18 — ." 

It  is  well  for  Abe,  as  we  shall  see  later,  that  Miss  Scott  made 
mention  of  this  date  and  these  hours,  as  they  were  thereby 
impressed  upon  the  minds  of  the  other  young  ladies. 

After  Malcolm  left,  Abe  sat  musing  for  some  moments,  after 
which  he  walked  into  Malcolm's  room  and  took  up  a  queer- 
looking  meerschaum  pipe,  filled  it  and  began  to  smoke.  Soon 
he  remarked  to  himself  that  he  wanted  to  see  Forbes,  and  left 
his  room,  taking  the  pipe  with  him.  Not  being  permitted  to 
smoke  in  the  halls,  he  pushed  the  stem  of  the  pipe  up  his 
sleeve,  holding  the  bowl  in  his  hand  close  to  his  body.  With 
the  pipe  in  this  position,  apparently  hiding  it,  Abe  met  Buck, 
Bloxum  and  several  other  boys  of  that  set. 

"What  you  recon'  he  is  hidin'  that  pipe  fer?"  said  Buck, 
as  Abe  passed  him. 

"Likely  as  not  he  is  carrying  it  down  the  hall  to  sell  it  to 
Forbes/'  remarked  Bloxum. 

*  *  You  fellows  can  always  see  something  wrong  in  everything 
that  Overley  does.  Why  not  tell  him  what  you  have  just  told 
us?"  said  Sam  Bucker. 

"Just  like  you,  taking  up  fer  'niggers.'  I  remember  when 
we  went  to  see  Dr.  Finley  'bout  'niggers'  eatin'  with  us  you 
was  the  first  one  to  back  out  and  have  been  leaning  'nigger- 
ward'  ever  since,"  said  Buck. 


82  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

"No,  I  am  not  leaning  ' nigger- ward, '  nor  am  I  taking  up 
for  '  niggers. '  I  think  you  two  ought  to  be  more  manly,  either 
to  say  these  things  to  Overley  or  leave  them  unsaid.  But  you 
and  Bloxum  do  not  seem  to  understand  the  position  that  gen- 
tlemen should  take  in  such  matters.  If  you  despise  Overley, 
as  you  claim,  the  dignified  gentleman  would  ignore  him." 

' '  Bucker,  you  ain  't  a  thing, ' '  said  Buck.  * '  Ain  't  we  white  ? 
Whose  got  nothin'  to  do  with  us  when  it  comes  to  these  'nig- 
gers'?" 

"Well,"  said  a  boy  from  North  Carolina,  "the  whole  fetched 
crowd  is  bad.  But  Buck  and  Bloxum  do  worry  too  much  about 
them.  We've  got  nothing  to  do  with  thatair  pipe.  Come  on, 
let's  have  a  game.  Do  something  that  gentlemen  can  find 
some  amusement  in." 

These  young  men  then  passed  into  Buck's  room,  where  they 
were  soon  busily  engaged  in  a  game  of  poker. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

'HILE  Abe  was  at  the  home  of  Miss  Donewell,  Mal- 
colm missed  his  pipe,  the  meerschaum  pipe  spoken 
of  in  a  previous  chapter.  He  searched  his  own  room, 
and  Abe's,  but  could  not  find  it. 

Upon  Abe's  return  he  found  Malcolm  brooding  over  his  loss. 

"Malcolm,  what  is  the  matter?  You  look  as  if  you  have 
lost  your  best  friend.  Cheer  up.  I  have  a  message  for  you 
from  Miss  Donewell.  She  invites  you  to  call  tomorrow  evening 
at  7.30  p.  m.,  as  her  visitors  have  received  an  unexpected  sum- 
mons to  return  to  their  homes.  They  will  take  the  midnight 
train.  They  also  expect  you  to  see  them  off.  Miss  Donewell 
says  she  is  going  with  them.  You  will  have  four  full  hours 
with  her,  Malcolm,  and  this  is  your  chance,  or  else  she  wouldn  't 
have  sent  for  you.  I  wish  you  every  success." 

"Abe,  after  the  way  you  treated  me  in  your  affair.  I  think 
you  have  nerve  and  plenty,  to  expect  me  to  talk  to  you 
about  my  case.  But  you  seem  so  fatherly,  I  will  say  that  I 
do  intend  to  avail  myself  of  the  first  opportunity  that  presents 
to  learn  my  fate."  After  a  moment  or  two  Malcolm  added: 
"We  have  met  with  a  very  serious  loss,  Abe,  if  you  do  not 
know  where  our  pipe  is.  I  have  looked  all  over  the  place  for 
it.  Do  you  know  where  it  is?" 

' '  Let  me  see, ' '  said  Abe ;  "  I  think  I.  saw  it  just  before  I 
went  out  last  night. ' ' 

"Well,  it  is  not  here  now,"  said  Malcolm,  and  the  gloomy 
look  which  Abe  noticed  when  he  entered  the  room  again  settled 
upon  his  face. 

"What  will  I  say  to  father  if  we  don't  find  it?  He  values 
that  pipe  very  highly,  because  his  great-grandfather  smoked  it. 
That  pipe  was  never  off  the  old  place  before  and  now  it  is 
lost." 


83 


84  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

While  Malcolm  was  talking  Abe  had  been  searching  the 
room.  He  looked  in  every  place  in  which  the  pipe  could  pos- 
sibly be,  but  to  no  purpose.  It  was  gone. 

"  Malcolm,  I  cannot  find  it.  Think.  Have  you  left  it  in 
any  boy's  room?  Let  us  ask  Forbes  and  the  rest  of  the  boys. " 
They  then  proceeded  to  Forbes 's  room,  but  Forbes  had  not 
seen  the  pipe  nor  had  any  of  the  rest  of  the  boys. 

' '  What  shall  I  do  ? "  asked  Malcolm.  ' '  This  pipe  is  a  family 
heirloom.  My  father  will  never  forgive  me  for  losing  it." 

"Report  the  loss  to  the  Dean  at  once,"  said  Rattles.  Maybe 
he  can  suggest  some  way  by  which  it  can  be  recovered." 

They  went  immediately  to  the  Dean,  and  explained  the  loss 
and  its  seriousness.  The  Dean  promised  to  investigate  the 
matter  at  once.  He  first,  however,  reported  to  Dr.  Finley 
that  the  pipe  was  lost  under  circumstances  that  looked  as  if 
it  were  stolen.  They  then  ordered  all  the  boys  on  that  floor 
before  them.  Dr.  Finley  had  a  short  heart-to-heart  talk  with 
them,  suggesting  that  he  would  consider  it  a  personal  favor  if 
the  boy  who  knew  the  whereabouts  of  the  pipe  would  see  that 
it  was  returned.  He  did  not  ask  nor  did  he  desire  the  students 
to  inform  upon  one  another.  He  also  intimated  that  he 
thought  the  boys  on  the  same  floor  with  Malcolm  and  Abo 
knew  all  about  the  pipe,  thereby  practically  exonerating  the 
rest  of  the  school.  This  brought  Buck  and  Bloxum  together 
about  a  week  later. 

"Buck,  now  we've  got  him,"  said  Bloxum.  "Let  us  go  to 
the  Dean  and  tell  him  that  we  are  on  his  floor  and  do  not  feel 
content  to  live  under  the  suspicion  that  has  been  cast  upon  us 
simply  because  we  are  on  this  floor.  That  we  saw  Abe  with 
the  pipe.  All  the  fellows  who  were  with  us  in  the  hall  will 
remember  how  he  had  the  pipe  up  his  coat  sleeve.  I  tell  you 
we've  got  him  this  time." 

"D —  his  black  hide!  I  hope  we  is.  Come  on,  let's  go 
to  the  Dean,"  said  Buck. 

The  two  then  proceeded  to  the  Dean's  office  and  stated  to 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  85 

him  that  on  account  of  being  on  the  same  floor  with  the  Over- 
leys  they  were  very  much  humiliated  because  of  the  suspicion 
cast  upon  them  by  the  loss  of  Overley  's  pipe.  They  very  much 
disliked  to  say  anything  that  would  reflect  upon  any  student, 
but  they  saw  Abe  Overley  with  the  pipe  half  up  his  coat  sleeve 
going  into  Forbes 's  room  on  the  night  of  November  10th; 
were  confident  that  it  was  November  10th.  They  gave  the 
names  of  several  other  students  who  saw  him,  together  with 
the  part  of  the  conversation  that  followed  after  Buck 's  remark 
about  Abe  taking  the  pipe  to  Forbes. 

These  young  men  were  so  embarrassed  that  they  could  not 
tell  the  story  at  once,  and  it  was  only  by  dint  of  close  question- 
ing that  the  Dean  could  get  a  clear  idea  of  what  they  had  seen. 
He  reported  the  facts  to  Dr.  Finley,  who  immediately  sent  for 
the  boys  whose  names  were  given  as  witnesses.  After  ques- 
tioning them  very  closely,  the  Doctor  concluded  to  send  for 
Abe.  When  Abe  put  in  his  appearance  the  Doctor  repeated 
to  him  what  he  had  heard,  and  asked  what  he  had  to  say  for 
himself. 

"Doctor,"  said  Abe,  "I  was  not  in  the  hall  the  night  in 
question  between  the  hours  of  6.30  and  11  p.  m.  I  was  at  the 

home  of ,"  Abe  stopped  short  and  looked  the  Doctor  full 

in  the  face,  and  said,  ' '  I  cannot  tell  you  at  whose  home  I  was 
that  night  without  the  permission  of  that  person." 

"Mr.  Overley,"  said  the  Doctor,  "do  you  realize  the  posi- 
tion in  which  you  place  yourself  and  the  chain  of  suspicion 
that  encircles  you?  Consider  well  before  you  decide  not  to 
make  a  complete  statement  of  your  whereabouts  the  night  this 
pipe  was  missed." 

"Doctor,  I  know  only  too  well  the  danger  in  which  I  find 
myself.  I  know  the  natures  of  the  persons  \vho  have  come  to 
you  with  this  story.  I  know  the  animus  behind  the  whole 
affair.  But,  Doctor,  for  all  that,  I  cannot  say  where  I  was 
that  night.  It  must  come  from  the  other  person. ' ' 


86 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


"Does  your  friend  Overley  know  your  whereabouts?"  asked 
the  Doctor. 

"Yes,  sir,  he  does,"  said  Abe. 

Will  you  say  to  him  that  I  desire  his  presence  at  once.  I 
do  not  wish  you  to  say  one  word  to  him  about  what  has  passed 
between  us,"  said  the  Doctor,  as  he  arose  and  extended  his 
hand  silently  to  Abe. 

"What  does  he  want,  Abe?"  asked  Malcolm,  when  the 
request  was  delivered. 

He  said  to  me,  'I  do  not  wish  you  to  say  one  word  to  him 
(meaning  you)  about  what  has  passed  between  us,'  so  you  see 
where  I  am  at.  You  must  face  the  lion  unprepared,"  said 
Abe,  laughingly. 

"Well,  I  will  soon  know,"  answered  Malcolm,  as  he  pre- 
pared to  leave  for  the  Doctor's  office.  After  Abe's  departure 
the  Doctor  turned  to  the  Dean  and  remarked:  "These  boys 
are  the  two  strongest  characters  in  the  school.  They  are 
friends.  This  white  boy  feels  the  loss  of  his  pipe  very  keenly. 
Now,  we  will  see  what  he  will  say  when  he  learns  what  these 
other  boys  have  said  about  his  friend. ' ' 

Upon  Malcolm's  arrival  the  Doctor  told  him  what  he  had 
heard,  the  number  of  witnesses  who  saw  Abe  with  the  pipe, 
and,  finally,  Abe's  refusal  to  say  where  he  was  the  night  the 
pipe  was  lost. 

"Now,  Mr.  Overley,  your  friend  says  you  know  where  he 
was  that  night.  Will  you  tell  us?" 

"No,  sir;  if  he  refused  to  say  where  he  was,  I,  of  course, 
cannot  betray  his  confidence,"  answered  Malcolm,  simply. 

"Well,"  said  the  Doctor,  as  he  handed  Malcolm  an  official 
note,  "take  this  to  him.  It  is  a  notice  of  suspension,  pending 
further  investigation.  I  am  very  sorry  that  this  course  must 
be  pursued." 

"Do  you  mean,  Doctor,  that  you  believe,  upon  the  statement 
of  this  bunch  of " 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  87 

"Be  careful,  Mr.  Overley.  I  have  expressed  no  belief  in 
this  matter.  I  am  simply  pursuing  the  course  that  is  usual  in 
matters  of  this  kind,"  the  Doctor  answered  very  quickly. 

* '  I  will  never  believe  Abe  stole  that  pipe,  nor  will  he  steal, ' ' 
said  Malcolm,  as  he  left  the  Doctor's  office. 

He  hastened  to  Abe  with  Dr.  Finley  's  note,  which  follows : 

Oberlin,  Ohio,  November  28,  18—. 
Mr.  Abraham  Overley, 

Dear  Sir :  This  is  to  notify  you  that  you  are  suspended  from 
further  participation  in  the  College  exercises  or  lectures  until 
further  notice. 

FINLEY,  President. 

"What  have  I  done,  Malcolm,  to  warrant  this?"  asked  Abe. 
when  he  had  recovered  from  the  surprise  caused  by  his  sus- 
pension. 

"You  have  refused  to  tell  Doctor  Finley  where  you  were 
on  the  night  the  pipe  was  lost.  Why,  Abe,  you  have  not  even 
told  me  where  you  were  that  night." 

"Have  not  told  you!"  exclaimed  Abe.  "Can  it  be  possible 
that  you,  of  all  persons  on  this  earth,  doubt  me,  too?  Why 
should  I  tell  you  that  which  you  already  know  ? ' ' 

Malcolm,  with  his  hands  deep  in  his  pockets,  stood  looking 
at  Abe  in  amazement. 

"Abe,  do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  I  knew  of  your 
whereabouts  upon  the  night  this  pipe  was  stolen?  How  can 
you  say " 

"My  God,  Malcolm,  you,  too,  doubt  me?"  As  Abe  asked 
this  question  he  laid  his  hand  on  Malcolm's  shoulder  and 
looked  him  in  the  face,  hoping  to  find  there  the  old  look  of 
trust  and  confidence.  Malcolm  turned  his  face  away.  Abe's 
hand  dropped  to  his  side;  his  whole  attitude  changed  to  one 
of  despair ;  he  seemed  to  age  perceptibly.  Abe  moved  toward 
the  door,  then  turned  to  Malcolm  with  a  look  which  Malcolm 
never  forgot,  and  simply  said: 


88  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

'  *  And  you,  too,  Malcolm ! ' ' 

Malcolm  met  his  gaze  with  a  heart  full  of  doubts  and  fears, 
but  answered  Abe  calmly,  saying: 

' '  Abe,  you  did  not  tell  me  where  you  were,  nor  do  I  know. ' ' 

"My  God!"  exclaimed  Abe,  "he,  too,  believes  me  to  be  a 
thief!" 

Abe  passed  into  his  room  and  cast  himself  upon  his  bed, 
where  he  remained  for  the  rest  of  the  night  and  the  following 
day.  The  morning  of  the  second  day,  as  Abe  had  not  put  in 
his  appearance,  Malcolm  became  uneasy  about  him.  Still  Abe 
had  not  told  where  he  was  the  night  the  pipe  was  stolen. 
Malcolm,  therefore,  went  to  Forbes  and  Rattles  for  advice. 

"Say,  Forbes,"  said  Malcolm,  "what  shall  we  do  with  Abe? 
He  has  not  left  his  room  for  two  days.  He  does  nothing  but 
moan  all  the  time." 

' '  Let  us  go  and  see  him, ' '  said  Rattles. 

When  these  young  men  entered  Abe's  room  they  found  him 
lying  across  his  bed,  where  he  had  been  since  his  talk  with 
Malcolm.  Rattles  went  to  him  and  lifted  his  head  from  the 
bed,  bringing  his  face  into  the  light,  at  the  sight  of  which, 
haggard  and  careworn,  Malcolm  and  Forbes  drew  back 
astounded. 

"Abe,"  said  Rattles,  kindly,  "what  can  I  do  for  you? 
Come,  old  man,  brace  up ;  you  are  killing  yourself  about  noth- 
ing. This  thing  will  blow  over  in  a  day  or  two. ' ' 

Abe  raised  his  eyes  to  Malcolm 's  face  and  kept  them  there  in 
a  long,  bewildered  stare.  Malcolm  could  not  endure  the  gaze 
and  moved  away  to  his  own  room,  followed  by  Forbes. 

"Malcolm,"  said  Forbes,  "what  is  the  trouble  between  you 
and  Abe?"  Malcolm  hesitated,  but  Forbes  urged  him  to  tell 
what  had  come  between  them. 

"Well,  the  truth  is,"  said  Malcolm,  "while  I  will  never 
believe  that  Abe  stole  that  pipe,  nor  will  he  steal,  he  would 
not  tell  Dr.  Finley  where  he  was  the  night  of  the  10th, 
nor  would  he  tell  me.  Why  not  me?  Then  he  said  T 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  89 

knew.  But  I  do  not.  He  told  Dr.  Finley  that  I  knew,  when 
he  must  have  known  that  I  did  not.  What  has  come  over 
Abe  that  he  has  so  far  forgotten  himself  as  to  lie?" 

"Are  you  sure  of  what  you  say?"  asked  Forbes.  "I  am 
loath  to  believe  that  Abe  will  lie." 

At  that  moment  Rattles  came  into  the  room  with  Abe's 
pocketbook  in  his  hand  and  walked  to  the  window,  remarking 
that  Abe  said  there  was  a  prescription  in  it  which  he  wanted 
filled.  Rattles  searched  the  book  and  pulled  forth  the  note 
Miss  Watson  sent  Abe  asking  him  to  accompany  her  to  Miss 
Donewell's.  It  follows: 

Oberlin,  Ohio,  November  10, 18—. 

11  a.  m. 
Mr.  Abraham  Overley, 

Dear  Sir:  Will  you  kindly  call  for  me  this  afternoon  at 
6.45  to  accompany  me  to  a  musicale  at  Miss  Donewell's  home? 
We  will  meet  some  musical  people  there  from  New  York  City. 
Sincerely  yours, 

NANCY  WATSON. 

As  Rattles  began  to  read 

"Oberlin,  Ohio,  November  10,  18—,  11  a.  m.,"  Malcolm 
exclaimed : 

"What  is  that?  November  10,  18—?  Let  me  see  it,  Rat- 
tles," and  he  grasped  the  note.  As  Malcolm  read  his  color 
changed,  his  hand  trembled;  for  a  moment  he  seemed  to  be 
deprived  of  the  power  of  speech ;  he  staggered  to  a  chair  and 
sank  upon  it,  still  holding  the  note  before  him,  at  which  he 
gazed  in  blank  amazement. 

"Why,  Overley,"  said  Forbes,  "what  on  earth  ails  you? 
Has  that  note  deprived  you  of  your  senses?  Let  me  see  this 
scroll  from  the  Magii." 

Forbes  read  the  note,  as  did  Rattles,  but  neither  of  them 
seemed  to  understand  the  situation.  Forbes  again  asked  Mal- 
colm for  an  explanation. 


90  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

"Do  you  not  see  that  date?"  asked  Malcolm.  "November 
10th  is  the  date  upon  which  I  lost  that  pipe.  Abe  was  at  Miss 
Donewell's  home  with  Miss  Watson,  and,  to  make  matters 
worse,  I  KNEW  HE  WAS  THERE.  What  a  thoughtless  thing  I 
have  done,  to  let  Abe  suffer  for  two  days  without  attempting 
to  console  him.  Then,  I  have  written  to  my  father  and 
explained  the  whole  affair  to  him,  as  I  thought.  What  an 
injustice  I  have  done  Abe !  How  I  could  have  forgotten  that 
he  was  at  Miss  Donewell's,  when  I  told  them  how  to  get  him 
there,  is  more  than  I  can  understand.  He  ought  never  to  for- 
give me.  I  will  see  him  at  once." 

Malcolm  went  immediately  to  Abe,  who  was  seated  on  a 
chair,  where  Rattles  left  him,  staring  into  space.  Malcolm 
extended  his  hand  to  him,  saying: 

"Abe,  can  you  ever  forgive  me  for  the  pain  I  have  caused 
you?  I  understand  now  what  you  meant  by  asking  why  you 
should  tell  me  that  which  I  already  knew.  My  friend,  I  am 
ashamed  to  say  so,  but  I  forgot  all  about  that  engagement  of 
yours  with  Miss  Watson  at  Miss  Doneweirs.  Abe,  I  ask  you 
a  thousand  pardons." 

Abe  looked  up  at  Malcolm  in  a  half  conscious  way, 
apparently  not  fully  understanding  all  that  had  been  said 
to  him.  He  took  Malcolm's  hand,  however,  in  both  of  his  own 
and  said: 

"Malcolm,  did  you  think  I  stole  that  pipe?" 
"Why,  no,  Abe,"  said  Malcolm;  "no  such  idea  crossed  my 
mind.  I  thought  you  were  not  living  up  to  your  promise  made 
to  me  when  we  first  came  here,  that  we  would  have  no  secrets 
from  each  other.  Abe,  I  shall  go  immediately  to  Doctor 
Finley  and  explain  this  wretched  affair." 

"No,  Malcolm ;  do  not  do  that.  I  do  not  want  it  done.  This 
explanation  must  come  from  them.  I  must  insist,  my  friends, 
that  each  of  you  promise  me  that  you  will  not  say  one  word 
of  this  to  a  living  soul." 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  91 

"I  am  sure  I  do  not  see  the  force  of  your  request,"  said 
Battles;  "but  I  will  respect  your  wish." 

"Abe,  we  want  to  consult  on  your  case,"  said  Forbes,  Mal- 
colm and  Rattles  as  they  went  out  of  the  room.  "Malcolm, 
you  are  the  only  person  who  has  the  key  to  this  situation. 
What  does  Abe  mean  by  not  wanting  you,  nor  either  of  us,  to 
say  where  he  was  that  night?" 

"I  do  not  believe  that  either  of  you  has  ever  heard  Abe 
express  himself  about  visiting  white  women,"  said  Malcolm; 
"nor  do  you  know  that  he  has  never  before  November  10, 
visited  Miss  Donewell.  Well,  such  is  the  fact.  He  has  always 
contended  that  no  good  could  possibly  come  by  the  commin- 
gling of  the  races  socially.  Now,  through  Miss  Watson,  he 
accepted  an  invitation  to  meet  some  ladies  at  Miss  Donewell 's 
home,  and  while  there  this  pipe  was  stolen.  Abe  absolutely 
refuses  to  say  where  he  was  that  night,  nor  will  he  permit  us 
to  say.  He  is  already  suspended  and  will  suffer  himself  to 
be  expelled  before  he  will  divulge  his  whereabouts  the  night 
in  question.  What  can  we  do  about  it?" 

' '  I  hardly  know, ' '  said  Forbes.  ' '  We  must  certainly  respect 
his  wishes.  But  must  we  permit  him  to  sacrifice  himself  upon 
the  altar  of  his  high  ideal,  which  seems  to  me  a  bit  over- 
drawn ? ' ' 

"What  can  we  do?"  asked  Rattles.  "It  is  Abe's  affair. 
We  have  no  right  to  'butt  in.'  Say,  I  admire  his  grit.  He 
is  suspended  now,  and  is  prepared  to  be  expelled  rather  than 
say  that  he  was  at  a  white  woman's  home.  Many  a  Negro 
would  be  crowing  about  it." 

"When  I  questioned  Abe  about  not  accepting  invitations 
to  these  various  places,  he  answered  that  his  female  associates 
suited  him,"  said  Malcolm.  "He  even  said  that  you  could 
not  tell  the  difference  between  Miss  Donewell  and  Miss  Watson 
but  for  the  color  of  their  skins.  I  tell  you,  fellows,  he  has 
ideas  of  his  own." 


92  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

"As  we  have  no  right  to  divulge  Abe's  secret,"  remarked 
Forbes,  "let  us  advise  him  to  see  Doctor  Finley  himself." 

"Abe,"  said  Forbes,  "we  are  your  friends  and  want  to 
advise  you.  Overley  has  just  explained  this  whole  affair  to 
us.  We  think  you  are  wrong.  Miss  Donewell  and  her  father 
have  invited  you  to  their  home ;  so  have  I  invited  you  to  mine. 
Do  you  think  that  they  or  that  I  would  object  to  your  saying 
that  you  accepted  the  invitations?  Abe,  you  are  drawing  it 
too  fine." 

1 1  Forbes,  I  appreciate  your  good  intentions, ' '  answered  Abe ; 
"but  you  do  not  understand.  You  cannot  understand  the 
position  in  which  I  am.  You " 

' '  Why  can 't  I  understand  ? ' '  asked  Forbes. 

"Because  you  are  not  a  Negro,"  Abe  replied,  solemly. 

This  remark  of  Abe's  stopped  all  conversation  for  several 
moments.  The  silence  was  broken  by  Abe 's  remarking : 

"Fellows,  I  am  in  for  it.  I  can  but4 let  matters  take  their 
course. ' ' 

"Well,  you  can  take  a  little  exercise,  at  any  rate,"  said  Rat- 
tles, and  he  suggested  a  turn  around  the  campus.  As  Abe  and 
his  three  friends  neared  the  upper  end  of  the  campus  they 
came  upon  a  group  of  boys,  which  included  DeVaux  and  his 
friend  from  Tennessee,  together  with  Bucker  and  Bloxum. 
DeVaux  was  the  first  to  note  Abe 's  approach. 

1 '  Why,  fellows,  there  is  Abe  Overley, ' '  he  remarked.  ' '  Look 
at  him.  I  don't  believe  he  would  steal  anything." 

"Nor  do  I,"  said  the  Tennesseean.  Turning  to  Abe,  he 
extended  his  hand  very  cordially,  saying : 

"Overley,  I  hear  that  you  are  in  trouble — that  you  are 
suspended — that  you  are  practically  accused  of  stealing  a 
pipe  from  your  friend  Malcolm;  all  these  things  coming 
through  statements  of  persons  not  above  small  things.  I  want 
to  say  to  you  that  I  do  not  believe  that  you  are  guilty  in  any 
sense  of  the  word.  If  there  is  anything  I  can  do  for  you, 
command  me;  I  am  at  your  service." 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  93 

"Overley,"  said  DeVaux,  after  the  general  handshaking, 
which  was  joined  by  all  except  Bloxum,  who  slunk  away  as 
soon  as  the  boys  began  to  gather  about  Abe,  "when  this  thing 
is  cleared  up  and  you  are  exonerated,  as  I  know  you  will  be, 
you  must  do  some  lambasting." 

"D —  if  I  wouldn't  commence  now,"  said  the  Yankee  boy, 
"if  I  were  you.  Those  fellows  need  a  good  thrashing.  I  tell 
you,  Abe  Overley,  I  can  count  on  my  fingers  all  the  boys  in 
this  College  who  believe  you  guilty.  Whenever  I  think  of 
this  trick,  I  feel  like  thrashing  somebody. ' ' 

As  Bloxum  turned  to  leave  the  crowd,  Bucker  called  to 
him,  saying  earnestly :  ' '  Don 't  leave,  Bloxum ;  don 't  you  hear 
what  these  fellows  are  saying?"  Bloxum  apparently  did  not 
hear  what  his  friend  Bucker  said,  as  he  kept  on,  going  straight 
to  Buck's  room. 

' '  Say,  Buck, ' '  he  said,  ' '  don 't  you  know  those  fellows  down 
on  the  campus  are  making  a  fool  of  Abe  Overley,  telling  him 
that  they  know  he  is  not  guilty,  and  that  a  ' nigger'  won't 
steal.  Well,  you  should  have  heard  them." 

"Bloxum,  I  don't  give  a  doggon  fer  the  whole  bunch,"  said 
Buck.  "I  am  going  to  Elmyra;  come  on  and  go." 

Bloxum  did  not  need  a  second  invitation;  they  were  soon 
on  the  way. 

Abe  appeared  to  feel  much  relieved  after  being  assured  by 
his  friends  and  acquaintances  that  he  had  not  lost  their  confi- 
dence and  still  retained  their  respect.  These  young  men  went 
back  to  Malcolm's  room,  where  a  free  and  frank  exchange  of 
thought  was  had.  Good-fellowship  soon  held  sway  once  more. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

FTER  the  conversation  between  Malcolm  and  Abe, 
which  resulted  in  the  latter 's  prostration  and  seclu- 
sion for  two  days,  Malcolm  felt  it  his  duty  to  inform 
his  father  as  to  what  had  taken  place.  He,  therefore,  wrote  to 
him  as  follows: 

Oberlin,  Ohio,  November  15th. 
Dear  Father: 

I  can  imagine  how  you  and  Uncle  Abe  will  feel  when  this 
letter  reaches  you  both,  but  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  write  the  whole 
circumstances,  that  you  may  form  your  own  opinion. 

The  meerschaum  pipe  that  I  brought  from  home  is  the  cause 
of  all  this  trouble.  On  the  night  of  November  10th  last,  I 
missed  the  pipe  from  my  room.  I  reported  the  loss  of  the 
pipe  to  the  Dean ;  he,  in  turn,  reported  the  loss  to  Dr.  Finley, 
who  called  all  the  boys  on  our  floor  together,  stating  to  them 
that  he  thought  some  of  the  boys  on  our  floor  knew  where  the 
pipe  was.  He  asked  that  it  be  brought  back.  Later,  Buck 
Lashum  and  Squealer  Bloxum  went  to  the  Dean  and  told  him 
that  they,  together  with  several  other  boys,  saw  Abe  with  the 
pipe,  half  up  his  sleeve,  going  through  the  hall  to  Will  Forbes 's 
room.  The  Dean  reported  to  the  Doctor,  who  sent  for  the 
boys,  and  they  all  agreed  that  they  saw  Abe,  as  Buck  and 
Bloxum  stated. 

The  Doctor  then  sent  for  Abe,  who  denied  being  in  the  hall 
at  the  time  they  claimed  to  have  seen  him.  When  asked  where 
he  was  he  absolutely  refused  to  say. 

He  said,  further,  that  I  knew  where  he  was,  but  I  do  not. 
As  a  result,  Abe  is  suspended,  and  at  this  time  is  in  his  room, 
where  he  has  been  for  two  days. 

I  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  him.  I  do  not  believe  that 
Abe  knows  anything  about  the  pipe ;  but  why  does  he  not  tell 
where  he  was*?  And  why  did  he  say  that  I  knew  where  he 
was,  when  I  did  not? 

Father,  what  must  I  do?  Tell  Uncle  Abe  to  write  to  him 
and  command  him  to  say  where  he  was.  He  will  obey  his 
father. 

These  are  the  circumstances.     I  hope  this  will  not  worry 

94 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  95 

you,  but  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  let  you  both  know  exactly  what 
has  happened. 

Give  my  love  to  the  people.     I  am  well,  but  worried. 

Yours, 

M.  A.  0.,  JR. 

After  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  Sr.,  had  read  and  reread  this 
letter,  in  Old  Abe's  hearing,  he  said: 

"Abe,  what  the  h —  do  you  think  of  that?  Just  to  think 
of  it!  Abe  suspended  under  suspicion  of  having  stolen  my 
pipe,  that  he  has  been  playing  with  all  'his  life !  Such  d — 
rot!  That  shows  what  little  sense  these  d —  professors  have. 
That  boy  steal?  Why,  I  should  as  soon  believe  that  my  Abe 
would  steal.  But,  why  don 't  he  tell  where  he  was  that  night  ? 
Abe,  d —  your  black  hide,  have  you  nothing  to  say  ?  Are  you 
going  to  let  them  make  a  thief  of  that  boy?  Buck  Lashum! 
He  saw  Abe  hiding  that  pipe !  H —  and  damnation,  man,  are 
you  asleep,  or  are  you  dumb,  or  are  you  such  a  fool  that  you 
don 't  care  what  happens  to  that  boy  of  yours  ?  D —  if  I  don 't 
believe  you  are  glad  he  is  in  trouble !  Sit  there  now  looking 
like  that  d —  old  kicking  mule  of  yours.  Can 't  you  talk  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  sar,  ob  cose  I  kin  talk/'  said  Old  Abe;  "but  yuse 
been  talkin '  an '  cussin '  for  mor  'n  half  hour.  How  kin  I  talk  ? 
How  I  goin '  to  git  a  word  in,  nohow  ?  My  po '  boy,  he  am  in 
all  dis  heah  trouble  'bout  dat  pipe.  I  vouch  Buck  Lashum 
stole  dat  pipe.  Yes,  sar;  de  Lawd's  will  mus'  be  done." 

"Yes,  the  Lord's  will  must  be  done.  Saddle  it  on  the  Lord. 
That's  the  plea  of  every  'nigger'  I  ever  heard  of,  after  he  has 
been  caught  doing  wrong.  The  Lord's  will!  According  to 
that  doctrine,  the  Lord  wills  that  you  'niggers'  do  wrong.  It 
is  too  foolish  for  discussion.  What  are  you  going  to  do  about 
that  boy  of  yours?" 

"I  does  not  know.  I  does  know  dat  my  Abe  won't  steal; 
but  why  he  not  say  whar  he  war,  I  does  not  know.  Dat  boy 
he  sho'  got  a  good  'scuse  fo'  not  sayin'  whar  he  at  dat  night. 
All  I  say  is  dis:  'Lawd,  dy  will  be  done.'  " 


96  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

1 1  Well,  I  be  d— !     Is  that  all  you  have  to  say  ? " 
Both  of  these  fathers  then  relapsed  into  silence,  one  to  brood 
over  the  prospect  of  a  disgrace  to  his  name,  the  other  to  pray 
silently  to  Almighty  God  that  his  son  may  come  out  of  this 
entanglement  with  his  name  untarnished. 
Thus  we  leave  them  to  their  own  thoughts. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

'HEN  it  became  known  throughout  the  College  that 
Abe  Overley  had  been  suspended,  supposedly  for 
the  larceny  of  his  friend's  meerschaum  pipe,  upon 
the  statement  of  Buck  Lashum  and  Bloxum,  feeling  ran 
very  high. 

The  Oberlin  College  Bulletin  contained  the  following  edi- 
torial comment: 

"  It  is  with  regret  we  announce  the  suspension  of  Mr.  Abra- 
ham Overley  for  the  supposed  larceny  of  a  pipe  belonging  to 
his  friend  and  classmate,  Mr.  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  both  of 
these  young  men  residents  of  the  State  of  Alabama. 

"It  appears  that  Mr.  Malcolm  Overley  was  the  owner  of  a 
very  old  and  valuable  meerschaum  pipe.  This  pipe  was  stolen 
the  night  of  November  10th. 

"It  appears  further  that  Mr.  Buck  Lashum  and  Mr. 
Squealer  Bloxum  saw  Mr.  Abraham  Overley,  with  the  pipe 
in  question  half  up  his  coat  sleeve,  passing  through  the  hall 
to  the  room  of  Mr.  William  Forbes. 

"It  also  appears  that  Mr.  Abraham  Overley,  when  ques- 
tioned by  Dr.  Finley,  absolutely  refused  to  state  where  he 
was  the  night  of  November  10th.  Whereupon  his  suspension 
followed. 

"It  does  not  appear  that  Mr.  Abraham  Overley  was  given 
a  chance  to  explain  his  having  the  pipe  in  his  possession,  if 
he  had  it,  as  claimed  by  the  two  gentlemen  named. 

"We  feel  that  a  grave  mistake  has  been  made  and  that  Mr. 
Overley  has  been  done  a  great  injustice." 

When  this  issue  of  the  Bulletin  reached  Mr.  George  Billings 
Donewell  he  forwarded  a  marked  copy  to  his  daughter  Mabel, 
which  copy  caused  a  sensation  among  her  New  York  friends. 

"Why,  Mabel,"  said  one,  "who  would  have  thought  he 
could!" 

"Oh,  I  cannot  believe  him  guilty ! ' '  exclaimed  another. 

"Mabel,  I  thought  you  said  he  was  such  a  gentleman?"  said 
a  third  young  lady. 

97 


98  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

"What  can  he  mean  by  refusing  to  say  where  he  was?'* 
asked  another  friend. 

"Why,  girls,"  said  Miss  Scott,  "November  10th  is  the  date 
of  the  night  he  was  at  Mabel's  house  with  Miss  Watson,  and 
sang  so  lovely." 

"Oh!  I  see  the  whole  thing  now,"  said  Miss  Mabel  Done- 
well.  "He  was  at  my  house,  and  will  not  say  so  because  he 
hasn't  our  permission." 

"Of  course  that  is  the  night,  because  that  was  Jennie's 
birthday." 

"What  can  we  do  about  it?"  asked  Miss  Chiswell. 

"Let  us  see  papa,"  said  Miss  Mary  Chiswell;  "show  him 
this  paper  and  ask  his  advice.  We  are  the  cause  of  his  embar- 
rassment. ' ' 

After  Mr.  Chiswell  had  read  the  editorial  and  all  the  sur- 
rounding circumstances  had  been  explained  to  him,  he  advised 
that  the  young  ladies  go  to  Oberlin  and  state  the  whole  case  to 
Dr.  Finley.  He  advised  further  that  they  start  immediately. 

Preparing  themselves  with  incredible  speed,  we  soon  find 
the  girls  on  a  train  due  to  arrive  in  Oberlin  at  8.30  p.  m.  that 
night.  Upon  their  arrival  in  Oberlin  they  hastened  to  the 
residence  of  Dr.  Finley,  where  they  found  him  in  consultation 
with  the  members  of  the  faculty  concerning  this  very  case. 
When  the  girls  were  announced  he  was  at  a  loss  to  understand 
this  unusual  visit.  Miss  Mabel  Donewell  made  plain  the 
object,  however,  stating  how  she  happened  to  know  of  this 
trouble  and  where  she  and  her  friends  were  when  they  heard 
of  it. 

When  she  had  completed  her  statement,  the  Doctor  sent 
for  Malcolm. 

"Mr.  Overley,"  said  the  Doctor,  "I  have  just  learned  that 
Abraham  Overley  was  at  the  home  of  a  young  lady  who  has 
been  out  of  town  and  that  you  knew  that  he  was  there.  Is 
that  a  fact?" 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  99 

"Yes,  sir/'  said  Malcolm.  "But  I  have  given  Abe  my 
word  not  to  mention  his  whereabouts  unless  the  other  party 
so  directs.  I  hope  you  will  not  question  me  further." 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  appreciate  your  position  and  will  see  what 
I  can  do  to  gain  you  that  permission." 

Thereupon  he  instructed  his  secretary  to  bring  to  him  the 
lady  who  was  in  waiting.  When  Malcolm  saw  Miss  Donewell 
enter  the  room  he  started  up  wtih  a  look  that  betrayed  his 
feelings.  He  extended  both  hands  to  her,  saying: 

' '  Thank  God,  you  have  come !  I  knew  you  would.  I  know 
now  that  Abe  will  soon  be  reinstated.  I  am  very  glad  to 
see  you." 

Miss  Donewell  colored  very  deeply  and  drew  back,  as  if  she 
feared  Malcolm  would  crush  her  in  his  eagerness. 

"Miss  Donewell,"  said  the  Doctor,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in 
his  eye,  "will  you  give  Mr.  Overley  leave  to  say  where  his 
friend  was  on  the  night  of  November  10th?" 

' '  Of  course  I  will,  Doctor.  Mr.  Overley,  you  may  say  that 
Mr.  Abraham  Overley  was  at  my  home  on  this  night,  and  all 
else  you  may  know  about  this  affair  that  pertains  to  me." 

Malcolm  immediately  started  into  a  complete  recital  of  the 
whole  story,  stating  that  it  was  November  9th  that  Abe  had 
the  pipe  in  the  hall;  also  stating  Abe's  reason  for  not  saying 
where  he  was  the  night  of  November  10th,  to  all  of  which  the 
Doctor  and  faculty  listened  very  attentively.  After  Malcolm 
had  finished  the  narration,  the  Doctor  instructed  him  to  have 
Abe  come  to  him  at  once,  and  that  he  would  impose  the  further 
burden  (?)  upon  him  of  seeing  the  young  ladies  home.  The 
Doctor  also  instructed  his  secretary  to  go  for  Lashum  and 
Bloxum,  telling  him  to  keep  them  in  the  library  until  he  sent 
for  them. 

He  then  suggested  to  the  Dean  that  he  thought  it  advisable 
to  search  Lashum 's  room.  The  Dean,  together  with  two  other 
members  of  the  faculty,  proceeded  to  make  the  search,  which 
resulted  in  finding  the  pipe  at  the  bottom  of  Lashum 's  trunk. 


100  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

The  Dean  took  the  pipe,  wrapped  very  closely,  to  Dr.  Finley's 
office. 

When  Abe  reached  the  Doctor's  office  he  expected  to  hear 
that  he  was  expelled.  His  surprise  was  very  great  when  told 
that  the  whole  affair  had  been  cleared  up,  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned,  and  that  the  announcement  of  his  reinstatement 
would  be  made  in  the  most  public  manner  next  morning  in 
the  Chapel,  just  after  devotional  exercises.  The  Doctor  and 
other  members  of  the  faculty  then  shook  Abe's  hand  very 
cordially  and  bade  him  good  night.  The  Doctor  had  been 
informed  as  to  how  and  where  the  Dean  had  found  the  pipe, 
so,  after  a  short  discussion,  it  was  thought  best  to  interview 
Bloxum  first.  When  Bloxum  came  into  the  room,  the  pipe 
was  on  the  table  in  full  view,  and  when  he  saw  it  he  staggered 
to  a  chair  and  dropped  upon  it.  He  knew  that  trouble  was 
in  store  for  him.  True  to  his  nature,  he  resolved  to  put  the 
blame  on  Buck.  Dr.  Finley  did  not  question  him  at  once, 
but  kept  looking  at  the  pipe,  waiting  for  Bloxum  to  be  the 
first  to  say  something  concerning  it.  Bloxum  was  wary  and 
did  not  betray  himself.  Finally,  the  Doctor  turned  suddenly 
to  the  Dean  and  said: 

' 'Dean  Sternly,  where  did  you  say  you  found  this  pipe?" 

' '  I  found  it  in  Mr.  Buck  Lashum  's  trunk, ' '  was  his  response. 

"Mr.  Bloxum,  how  came  this  pipe  to  be  there?"  asked  the 
Doctor.  "I  hope  you  will  see  fit  to  tell  me  the  whole  truth 
about  this  matter." 

"I  did  not  put  it  there.  I  told  Buck  to  let  it  alone,"  was 
Bloxum 's  answer. 

"Now,  tell  us  the  entire  circumstance,"  said  the  Doctor. 

Bloxum  said  that  he  and  Lashum  and  a  few  others  were 
passing  through  the  hall  the  night  before  Buck  got  the  pipe 
and  they  saw  Abe  with  it.  Buck  said:  "Let's  get  that  pipe 
and  put  it  on  Abe,"  but  Bloxum  advised  him  to  let  it  alone. 
Buck  insisted.  Buck  alone  did  the  whole  thing.  All  Bloxum 
did  was  to  say  that  he  saw  Abe  with  the  pipe,  which  was  true. 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  101 

After  this  remarkable  statement,  the  Doctor  sent  for  Buck. 
When  Buck  saw  the  pipe  on  the  table  he  became  sullen  at  once. 

"Mr.  Lashum,  do  you  know  where  that  pipe  was?"  asked 
the  Doctor. 

"No,  I  do  not,"  said  Buck. 

"It  was  found  in  your  trunk,"  said  the  Doctor. 

"I  didn't  put  it  there,"  said  Buck;  "nor  do  I  know  how  it 
got  there." 

"Have  a  care,  Mr.  Lashum,"  said  the  Doctor;  "I  have  a 
statement  from  one  who  claims  to  know  all  about  this  affair. ' ' 
The  Doctor  then  read  the  statement  made  by  Bloxum.  Buck 
thought  a  moment,  then  concluded  that  Bloxum  must  have 
"squealed"  on  him. 

' '  Well,  I  won 't  say  nothin ',  because  I  don 't  know  nothin ', ' ' 
said  Buck,  and  moved  toward  the  door. 

"Do  not  be  in  a  hurry,  Mr.  Lashum,"  said  the  Doctor.  I 
want  to  know  whether  or  not  this  statement  is  true." 

"No,  it  ain't  true,"  said  Buck. 

At  a  sign  from  the  Doctor,  Bloxum  was  brought  in  the 
room  again  and  his  statement  was  read  to  him. 

"Mr.  Bloxum,"  said  the  Doctor,  "is  this  statement  true?" 

"Yes,  sir,  it  is  true;  every  word  of  it,"  was  Bloxum 's 
answer. 

Buck  glared  at  him  for  a  moment,  then  said: 

' '  So  you  are  trying  to  put  this  whole  thing  on  me,  are  you  ? 
Well,  you  won't.  Didn't  you  tell  me  how  to  fix  that 
'  nigger  '- 

"Mr.  Lashum,"  interrupted  the  Doctor,  "you  will  use 
nothing  but  proper  language  here.  You  will  withdraw  that 
word." 

' '  Well,  Bloxum  told  me  how  to  get  even  with  Abe.  He  told 
me  to  get  the  pipe  and  hide  it  and  say  that  Abe  stole  it,  and 
that  we  saw  him  with  it,  and  that  the  boys  would  not  know 
what  night  it  was.  Now,  he  tries  to  put  the  job  on  me.  I 
ain't  af eared  to  say  what  I  did.  I'm  white,  I  am." 


102  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

After  Buck  had  finished,  Bloxum  began  to  remark  that  Buck 
knew  better;  that  he  advised  against  the  whole  thing  all  the 
way  through;  but  he  was  cut  short  by  the  Doctor,  who  said 
that  their  cases  would  be  disposed  of  that  night  and  that 
the  conclusion  would  be  announced  next  morning  at  the 
Chapel  exercises. 

Dr.  Finley,  after  a  prayer  next  morning,  in  which  he  asked 
Almighty  God  to  watch  and  protect  the  school  and  those  in 
the  school  who  were  weighted  down  with  troubles  and  sorrows, 
and  those  who  were  about  to  leave  the  school  and  who  would 
need  His  constant  care,  said  he  had  two  duties  to  perform,  one 
a  pleasant,  the  other  a  very  disagreeable  duty. 

First,  that  the  faculty,  after  new  facts  had  come  to 
light,  had  unanimously  agreed  to  reinstate  Mr.  Abraham 
Overley,  who  had  been  suspended  pending  the  finding  of  Mr. 
Malcolm  Overley 's  pipe  and  the  investigation  as  to  his  where- 
abouts the  night  the  pipe  was  stolen.  He  said  it  gave  him 
great  pleasure  to  state  that  the  investigation  disclosed  that 
Mr.  Overley  was  not  guilty  in  any  sense  of  the  word.  He, 
therefore,  withdrew  the  suspension  and  hoped  that  all  the 
students  would  understand  that  no  suspicion  whatever  rested 
on  Mr.  Overley.  This  announcement  was  met  by  the  yell  that 
only  College  boys  know.  Abe  was  the  hero  of  the  hour.  The 
Doctor's  manner  then  changed.  He  said  the  investigation  also 
led  to  the  discovery  of  a  case  of  criminal  conspiracy.  He 
stated  that  it  was  discovered  that  two  students  had  conspired 
to  rob  another  of  his  good  name  by  lying  about  him,  and  gave 
the  complete  details  of  the  affair,  after  which  he  announced 
that  the  faculty  had  dismissed  Mr.  Buck  Lashum  and  Mr. 
Squealer  Bloxum.  The  boys  arose  to  their  feet  looking  for 
Buck  and  Bloxum;  but  they  had  been  notified  of  the  action 
of  the  faculty  and  were  not  present.  These  young  men  were 
busy  packing  their  belongings,  Buck  cursing  and  scoring 
Bloxum  as  an  ungrateful  dog,  Bloxum  whining  and  crying, 
not  knowing  where  to  get  money  to  pay  his  fare  home.  When 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  103 

the  Doctor's  announcement  was  made  that  Buck  and  Bloxum 
were  dismissed  there  was  a  moment  of  silence ;  then  there  burst 
forth  a  perfect  volcano  of  cat  calls,  hisses  and  groans.     When 
the  noise  had  ceased,  the  Doctor  dismissed  the  students.     Out 
on  the  campus  a  party  surrounded  Malcolm  and  Abe  and 
wanted  Abe  to  tell  where  he  was  that  night  and  all  about 
the  case,  but  Abe  still  refused  to  say  a  word  about  his  where- 
abouts, remarking  that  if  one  visit  caused  all  this  talk  and 
trouble,  what  would  ten  visits  cause?     As  DeVaux  and  his 
friend  passed  out  of  the  Chapel  the  Tennesseean  remarked : 
* '  That  was  undoubtedly  the  dirtiest  trick  I  ever  heard  of. ' ' 
"DeVaux,  what  do  you  think  of  such  people ?" 
"Well,  I  am  sure  I  don't  know.     They  just  deliberately 
stole  that  pipe  and  accused  somebody  else  of  the  theft,  thereby 
bringing  other  people  into  it  as  witnesses, ' '  answered  De  Vaux. 
"These  fellows  must  feel  cheap  now." 
"I  am  glad  they  are  gone." 

The  next  issue  of  the  College  Bulletin  contained  a  full 
account  of  the  affair.  Malcolm  mailed  one  to  his  father  and 
also  a  letter  to  Abe's  father,  asking  pardon  for  causing  him 
unnecessary  worry  and  trouble. 


CHAPTEE  XVIII. 

ELOXUM,  unlike  Buck,  had  no  cash  upon  which  to  draw 
to  procure  a  ticket  for  his  home  trip.  He  was,  there- 
fore, compelled  to  write  his  father  for  the  necessary 
funds.  What  should  he  write?  How  was  he  to  explain  his 
expulsion  ?  After  much  thought,  Bloxum  concluded  he  would 
write  his  father  at  length,  explaining  that  he  had  brought 
trouble  upon  himself  in  an  endeavor  to  protect  a  Negro  by 
the  name  of  Overley,  forgetting  that  his  father  received  the 
Oberlin  Bulletin.  In  due  course  Bloxum  received  the  bare 
amount  necessary  to  procure  his  ticket,  unaccompanied  by 
either  letter  or  comment.  He  left  by  a  night  train,  well 
knowing  that  no  boy  in  the  school  would  be  sorry  to  see  him 
leave.  Bloxum 's  father  concluded  to  express  himself  to  his 
son  in  person. 

After  writing  home  that  Abe  Overley  had  lied  on  him,  that 
Abe  had  stolen  a  pipe  and  put  it  in  his  (Buck's)  trunk,  Buck 
declared  that  he  was  coming  home.  Oberlin  was  no  place  for 
him.  A  " nigger's"  word  there  is  better  than  a  white  man's. 
Buck  also  forgot  that  the  Bulletin  was  sent  to  his  home ;  but  he 
was  more  fortunate  than  Bloxum.  Nick  Lashum,  Sr.,  could 
not  read  and  was  kept  in  ignorance  of  those  things  which  the 
family  did  not  desire  him  to  know.  Buck  concluded  he  would 
visit  friends  in  Elmyra  and  Cleveland  before  he  started  home. 
He  found  himself  stranded  in  Cleveland,  however.  Upon 
receiving  a  telegram  from  Buck,  his  brother  immediately  tele- 
graphed him  the  necessary  amount  to  procure  a  ticket.  When 
Buck  arrived  home  his  father  wanted  to  know  about  the  affair 
that  led  to  his  homecoming,  inasmuch  as  his  brothers  and  sis- 
ters had  been  careful  not  to  inform  Nick,  Sr.,  that  his  son  had 
been  expelled  from  College.  He,  therefore,  launched  into  a 
long  story  as  to  how  he  happend  to  be  home.  In  the  first 
place,  Oberlin  was  no  place  for  a  white  man,  anyhow.  "Nig- 

104 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  105 

gers"  were  more  thought  of  than  white  men.  "Niggers"  had 
all  the  privileges  of  the  school ;  they  stood  at  the  head  of  some 
of  the  classes;  they  went  about  with  white  women.  A  "nig- 
ger ' '  was  the  captain  of  the  College  baseball  team.  ' '  Niggers ' ' 
sat  at  the  same  table  with  him.  Taken  on  the  whole,  he  could 
not  understand  how  he  managed  to  live  through  it  all.  He, 
as  you  may  know,  had  a  very  sympathetic  audience. 

After  he  had  finished  his  narrative,  Arabella  innocently 
remarked : 

"Buck,  it  was  awful  mean  of  them  to  expel  you  just  for 
that." 

"What's  that?"  asked  Nick,  Sr.,  with  a  blaze  of  wrath. 
"Why  the  damnation  hain't  yer  tol'  me  that  'fore  now? 
What  yer  mean  by  not  tellin '  me  what  I  aughter  know  ?  D — 
if  I  don 't  pull  yer  lyin '  tongue  outen  yer  haid ! ' ' 

Suiting  the  acts  to  the  words,  Nick,  Sr.,  made  a  move  toward 
his  son,  but  Buck  was  on  the  alert  and  soon  put  a  safe  distance 
between  himself  and  his  irate  parent. 

"Never  yer  min',  yer  ungrateful  dorg!  Jes'  yer  put  yer 
foot  in  this  hyre  house  again  an — go  'way  Arabella,  yer  leetle 
hussy,  think  I'm  goin'  to  let  thet  air  boy  run  my  house? 
Doggon  ef  I  don't  fix  him,  yo'll  see." 

Buck,  in  his  haste  to  get  out  of  his  father's  reach  ran  to 
the  cabin  of  Black  Sue,  who  was  sitting  before  the  door 
smoking  a  pipe — a  habit  common  among  the  Negro  women 
among  her  class. 

"Lor',  chile,  what's  de  mattah?"  she  asked,  noticing  his 
haste  and  frightened  look.  "Sho'  yo'  pappy 's  not  arter  you 
'gin  so  soon?" 

"Yes,"  said  Buck,  "and  he  swears  he  will  kill  me  if  he 
catches  me." 

Black  Sue  insisted  that  he  should  tell  her  about  the  trouble, 
thinking  something  had  happened  which  caused  him  to  return 
before  the  end  of  the  school  year.  Negroes  of  this  class  could 
always  be  depended  upon  to  know  all,  even  to  the  smallest 


106  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

details,  that  transpired  at  the  Big  House.  Black  Sue  was  no 
exception  to  this  rule.  After  Buck  had  related  his  version 
of  why  he  was  expelled,  this  virtuous  ( ?)  person  was  consumed 
with  wrath.  She  regarded  Buck  thoughtfully  for  some 
moments,  then  remarked : 

*  *  Chile,  I  know  jes '  how  to  git  eben  wid  dem  Overleys.  Ole 
Mai  Overley  and  Ole  Abe  and  de  rest  ob  dem  men  is  gone  to 
take  dey  grain  to  de  boat.  Dey  won't  be  back  till  day  arter 
'morrow.  Yo'  kin  kotch  dat  gal  ob  Ole  Abe's  what  puts  on 
so  many  airs  jes'  kase  she  kin  read  and  write,  and  dat  ole 
mammy  ob  hern  stealin'  bacon  outen  yo'  pappy 's  meat  house. 
I  dun  kotch  dem  onct.  Den  yo'  kin  gib  dem  a  good  noggin'." 

Buck  knew  only  too  well  the  purport  of  this  statement.  He 
saw  very  readily  that  he  could  rehabilitate  himself  in  the  good 
graces  of  his  father  by  this  means.  He  therefore  immediately 
sent  one  of  Black  Sue's  boys  after  the  Smalys  and  Warde- 
mans,  upon  whom  he  could  depend.  It  was  agreed  in  the 
council  that  followed  that  at  11  p.  m.  the  next  night  they 
were  to  assemble  and  go  quietly  to  the  cabin  of  the  Overleys, 
take  the  two  women  out  and  flog  them.  At  the  appointed 
time  these  representative  citizens  met  at  the  place  designated 
and  proceeded  to  the  cabin,  where  they  found  these  lone 
women. 

The  daughter  was  engaged  in  reading  the  Bible  to  her 
mother,  as  she  had  been  accustomed  to  do  for  years  past,  just 
before  retiring.  Jack  Smaly  burst  the  door  open  and  with  an 
oath  demanded  to  know  where  the  bacon  was  they  had  stolen 
from  Mr.  Lashum's  meathouse.  The  daughter,  who  was  a 
very  spirited  girl,  arose  to  her  feet,  saying  that  they  knew  she 
nor  her  mother  had  stolen  nothing.  Jack  dealt  the  girl  a  blow 
with  his  fist  that  felled  her  to  the  floor.  The  mother,  in  trying 
to  prevent  this  assault,  was  knocked  down  by  one  of  the  Warde- 
mans.  They  were  both  then  seized,  bound,  and  taken  back 
into  the  orchard,  stripped  bare  to  the  waist  by  these  "Alabama 
gentlemen"  (?),  who  proceeded  to  administer  with  a  leather 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  107 

horse-trace  nine  and  thirty  lashes  on  their  bare  backs.  At 
the  first  blow,  the  mother,  old  and  feeble,  fainted  and  hung 
by  the  thongs  that  bound  her  to  the  tree.  No  thought  of  pity 
for  her;  no  hand  was  raised  to  stay  the  sickening  blows  that 
fell  upon  her  emaciated  body;  no  word  of  warning  that  her 
life  was  being  taken ;  nothing  but  curses  and  blows  were  multi- 
plied upon  her,  until  her  brutal  lynchers  stopped  from  sheer 
exhaustion.  The  daughter  begged  that  the  mother  be  spared, 
but  was  answered  by  a  blow  that  loosened  several  teeth.  The 
trace  was  applied  to  the  now  perfectly  nude  body  of  the 
unfortunate  girl,  until  she,  too,  hung  limp  and  apparently 
lifeless,  subjected  to  the  vile  remarks  and  jeers  of  these  merci- 
less wretches.  At  this  moment  Buck's  brother,  Nick,  Jr., 
arrived  on  the  scene.  He,  though  a  Lashum,  did  not  approve 
of  such  deeds.  He  went  at  once  to  the  old  woman  and  cut  her 
loose,  thinking  she  would  be  glad  to  get  away,  but  she  fell  to 
the  ground.  After  bending  over  her  for  a  moment,  he  said: 
' '  You  fellows  have  raised  h —  now,  haven 't  you  ?  You  have 
killed  this  old  woman. " 

He  then  went  to  the  daughter  and  found  her  almost  lifeless. 
Some  of  the  Negro  women  from  the  nearby  cabins  were  called 
and  they  took  the  girl  to  her  cabin,  where  she  died  before 
morning.  This  drunken  mob,  now  sobered  by  the  realization 
of  the  enormity  of  their  crime,  began  to  move  away,  leaving 
their  victims  dead  and  dying. 

Sheriff  Joe  Wheatley  was  notified  of  this  tragedy  by  some 
of  the  Negroes  and  was  soon  upon  the  scene.  He  learned 
from  them  that  the  deed  was  committed  by  Buck  Lashum 's 
gang.  The  Sheriff  immediately  put  Buck  and  his  cronies, 
the  Wardemans  and  the  Smalys,  under  arrest.  The  Coroner 
also  soon  arrived.  When  he  learned  that  Buck  and  his  friends 
were  under  arrest,  charged  with  murder  of  these  women,  he 
impanelled  a  jury  at  once,  to  determine  the  innocence  of  these 
young  men.  Testimony  was  adduced  from  the  Negroes  that 
should  have  been  strong  enough  to  hold  the  prisoners  for  the 


108  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

action  of  the  Grand  Jury,  but  three  white  men,  who  were  late 
in  arriving  at  the  scene  of  action,  swore  they  passed  the 
prisoners  five  miles  back  on  the  road,  going  in  an  opposite 
direction  from  the  scene  of  the  tragedy  at  the  time  of  its 
occurrence,  which  testimony  was  of  sufficient  weight,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  jury,  to  justify  them  in  bringing  in  a  verdict 
declaring  that  the  women  came  to  their  deaths  at  the  hands 
of  parties  unknown  to  the  jury,  probably  the  result  of  a  fight 
among  the  Negroes  on  the  Overley  place,  Malcolm  A.  Oberley 
not  being  home  to  preserve  order.  All  this  in  the  face  of  the 
fact  that  these  men  were  in  the  custody  of  the  Sheriff  at  the 
time  the  three  citizens  swore  they  were  on  the  road. 

The  ability  to  reason  in  a  Negro's  favor  is  not  an  accom- 
plishment characteristic  of  an  Alabama  jury.  The  Coroner 
ordered  the  discharge  of  the  prisoners. 

After  a  consultation  with  the  State's  Attorney,  Sheriff 
Wheatley  rearrested  Buck  and  his  friends,  and  they  were 
held  by  Judge  Wiggles  under  heavy  bond  to  await  the  action 
of  the  Grand  Jury. 

Old  Abe  and  Malcolm  A.  Overley  learned  of  the  double 
tragedy  before  they  reached  home.  Old  Abe,  completely  pros- 
trated, lay  in  the  bottom  of  a  wagon  moaning  and  praying 
to  God.  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  as  soon  as  he  learned  of  what 
had  happened,  lashed  his  horses  into  a  furious  gallop  and  was 
soon  dashing  along  the  road  toward  his  home  like  a  madman. 
As  he  passed  his  neighbors  they  gazed  at  him  in  his  mad 
flight,  fearful  for  his  life.  When  he  finally  reached  home  his 
rage  was  beyond  control. 

For  two  days  Malcolm  A.  Overley  rode  the  country  with 
his  gun,  looking  for  some  person  to  shoot  who  was  concerned 
in  the  murder  of  these  women.  But  no  man  came  his  way, 
however,  and  he  was  finally  persuaded  by  Big  Joe  Wheatley 
and  others  to  return  to  his  home.  For  six  weeks  following 
this  old  man's  soul  hovered  between  its  prison  and  the  bound- 
less beyond.  When  Malcolm  A.  Overley  finally  regained  his 


AS     WE     SEE,    IT.  109 

strength  and  took  his  accustomed  place  with  Old  Abe  on  the 
veranda,  where  for  two  generations  they  were  wont  to  smoke 
and  talk,  the  altered  appearance  of  each  was  so  noticeable  that 
the  old  men  sat  for  a  long  time  gazing  at  each  other.  Finally, 
Malcolm  A.  Oberley  said: 

"Abe,  what  the  h —  are  you  staring  at  me  that  way  for? 
Have  you  never  seen  me  before  ?  D —  your  black  hide,  do  you 
think  I  am  a  ghost?" 

"Yes,  sah,  yo'  is  de  ghost  of  yo'se'f.  But,  sah,  will  yo' 
nebber  'member  dat  de  Lawd  is  more  pow  'f  ul  den  we  is  ?  Will 
yo'  nebber  'member  dat  His  Will  mus'  be  done?  My  ole 
'oman  dat's  daid  an'  gone,  she  say  dat  she  will  die  happy 
when  she  know  dat  yo'  done  gin  yo'  heart  to  God.  Now,  she 
done  pass  'way,  an'  yo'  air  still  outen  de  Lawd's  fold.  Yo' 
jes'  come  through  de  Valley  ob  de  Shadow  ob  Death  an'  yo' 
is  not  changed  yet.  I  dun  stop  prayin'  fo'  my  ole  'oman  an' 
my  gal,  kase  I  know  day  is  in  glory.  I'se  prayin'  fo'  yo'. 
When  I  see  how  nigh  de  grave  yo' " 

"Why,  Abe,  who  the  h —  told  you  how  near  the  grave  I  am? 
You  old  l niggers'  think  that  you  know  as  much  about  the 
Lord's  business  as  He  Himself  knows.  Where  did  you  get 
the  idea  that  I  am  nearer  the  grave  than  any  other  man  of 
my  age?" 

"Hab  yo'  forgot  so  soon  dat  yo'  jus'  earned  outen  yo'  sick 
bade?  Dat  de  doctors  say  yo'  mus'  die,  an' " 

"Oh,  d—  the  doctors!  They  tried  to  kill  me.  Old  Cleo, 
she  brought  me  out.  But,  Abe,  what  will  we  do  when  my  boy 
and  your  boy  learn  the  truth  ? ' ' 

"God  am  my  hepper,  I  dunno.     I  pray  God  my  Abe  may 
nebber  learn  de  truth." 

After  Old  Abe  had  expressed  himself  as  not  knowing  what 
to  do,  Malcolm  A.  Overley  seemed  lost  in  thought. 

"Abe,"  he  said,  "what  will  the  Grand  Jury  do  with  those 
d —  beasts  ?  Si  Weedles  foreman  of  the  Grand  Jury !  What 
the  h —  has  this  country  come  to?  Poor  white  trash!  A 


110 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


hound  like  that  foreman  of  the  Grand  Jury !  I  tell  you,  Abe, 
if  that  Grand  Jury  does  not  indict  that  bunch  of  murderers  I 
shall  take  my  gun  and  kill  the  whole  d —  crowd.  What  are 
you  shaking  your  head  about?  D —  your  black  hide,  you 
haven't  the  courage  of  a  flea.  What  are  you  going  to  do? 
Let  them  go  scot  free?  Well,  just  you  wait  until  that  boy 
of  yours  comes  back  here ;  then  you  will  wake  up.  D —  if  he 
don 't  fix  matters. ' ' 

"God  forbid  my  po'  boy  come  back  heah  wid  he  heart  full 
of  murder  an'  vengeance.  No,  he  urns'  nebber  know  how  he 
po'  mudder  an'  sister  done  die.  I  hopes,  sah,  yo'  will  nebber 
tell  him." 

At  this  point  Big  Joe  Wheatley,  Jim  Connors  and  several 
more  of  Malcolm  A.  Overley's  friends,  together  with  the  good 
minister,  rode  up  to  the  house.  Old  Abe  called  some  of  the 
boys  to  look  after  the  horses. 

"Malcolm,"  said  Big  Joe  Wheatley,  "tomorrow  the  Grand 
Jury  will  sit  on  those  cases ;  already  they  are  bragging  that  it 
will  not  indict.  I  do  not  think  myself  that  it  will.  But  what 
can  we  do?  At  times  I  feel  like  taking  my  gun  and  killing 
the  whole  crowd." 

"I  can  but  feel  that  that  will  be  the  only  way  in  which 
this  thing  can  ever  be  settled,"  said  Jim  Connors. 

"Why,  of  course,  that  is  the  way,"  replied  Malcolm  A. 
Overley.  "D —  their  dirty  hides!  I  have  said  so  all  along. 
I  just  told  Abe  that  if  the  Grand  Jury  did  not  indict  them,  I 
would  indict,  try  and  execute  them,  too.  H — !  They  deserve 
to  die." 

"But,  my  brothers,"  interposed  the  good  minister,  "that 
would  be  murder.  Two  wrongs  will  not  make  one  right.  Still, 
when  one  considers  the  wickedness  of  this  deed,  the  wanton 
brutality  attending  the  crime,  there  may  be  some  excuse. 
should  the  passions  and  desire  for  revenge,  common  to  all 
human  beings,  get  beyond  control.  My  brothers— 

"May  de  good  God  Almighty  keep  yo'  gemmen  from  letten7 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  Ill 

yo'  passions  get  'yon'  control/'  interrupted  Old  Abe.  "Ef 
yo'  does  Venge  yo'se'f  on  dese  people,  an'  take  dey  life,  yo' 
souls  will  be  los'.  Dar  will  be  no  'scuse  fo'  yo'.  I'se  de  one 
dat  is  most  hurted.  I  dun  forgin  dese  people.  Why  yo' 
gemmen  not  do  de  same?  God  grant  dat  yo'  will  not  'pen' 
on  any  'scuse  an'  cubber  yo'  hands  wid  blood." 

Old  Abe  made  these  observations  solemnly  and  with  all  the 
simple  eloquence  peculiar  to  his  class.  Abe's  rebuke  to  this 
man  of  God  was  apparent  to  all.  It  put  a  stop  to  all  further 
discussion  along  those  lines. 

Upon  the  following  day  the  Grand  Jury  met  and  consid- 
ered the  case.  After  hearing  the  three  white  men,  who  tes- 
tified before  the  Coroner's  Jury,  together  with  the  Negroes 
who  witnessed  the  murders,  Buck  and  his  friends  were  dis- 
charged, an  alibi  having  been  established. 

The  following  was  found  next  day  in  the  County  Bulletin: 

*  *  Messrs.  Buck  Lashum,  Rex  and  Tom  Wardeman,  Jack  and 
Jirn  Smaly  were  yesterday  discharged  by  the  Grand  Jury, 
they  having  been  held  by  Judge  Wiggles  in  $30,000  bond  each, 
charged  with  the  murder  of  two  'nigger  wenches'  on  the 
Overley  plantation.  The  time  has  not  yet  come  for  white 
men  to  be  tried  for  killing  l niggers'." 

And  thus  the  matter  ended. 

Malcolm  A.  Overley  and  his  friends  were  compelled  to  bow 
to  what  seemed  to  be  the  inevitable.  The  Grand  Jury  exon- 
erated the  men  who  killed  these  women.  The  County  Bulletin 
had  passed  editorially  on  the  killings.  The  case  passed  into 
history.  Malcolm  A.  Overley  was  called  from  his  bitter 
thoughts  by  a  communication  notifying  him  that  his  mortgage 
would  be  due  in  thirty  days,  and  that  it  must  be  paid  in  full. 
The  money  was  not  available.  What  was  he  to  do?  After  a 
long  consultation  with  his  friends  it  was  decided  to  ask  the 
bank  for  eight  months'  extension  of  time. 

When  the  proposition  was  submitted  to  Nick  Lashum  he 


112  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

denounced  the  "big  bug,"  saying  that  now  he  had  him  and 
he  was  going  to  sell  him  out.  But  the  officials  of  the  bank 
were  not  of  Nick's  opinion.  The  time  had  not  come  for  the 
mortgage  to  be  foreclosed.  They  prevailed  upon  him  to  with- 
hold his  vengeance  for  a  few  months.  The  extension  was 
obtained  and  it  was  placed  upon  record,  and  thus  the  matter 
was  settled  for  the  time  being. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

'HEN  Nick  Lashum,  Sr.,  learned  that  Buck  and  his 
friends  had  been  arrested  by  Sheriff  Wheatley, 
charged  with  the  murder  of  the  Overley  women, 
his  wrath  knew  no  bounds. 

"What  the  h —  yer  think  of  them  'big  bugs'  'restin'  white 
men  fer  'niggers'!  D —  if  I  don't  git  even.  Yo'll  see.  Go 
they  bail?  In  course  I  will.  I  don't  kere  a  d —  ef  it's  a 
hundred  thousand.  They  is  good  boys,  an'  them  'niggers' 
was  stealin'  my  bacon.  Serve  'em  right." 

Thus  commented  Nick,  Sr.,  when  requested  to  offer  himself 
as  bondsman  for  the  murderers.  When  Buck  was  questioned 
by  his  father  as  to  his  knowledge  of  the  theft  of  the  bacon,  he 
said  Black  Sue  first  told  him  that  the  women  were  stealing 
from  the  meathouse ;  in  fact,  that  she  had  caught  them  in  the 
very  act.  He  then  determined  to  watch  and  see  for  himself, 
and  he  and  his  friends  caught  the  women  red-handed.  Buck 
told  these  lies  without  a  tremor,  without  a  blush.  His  father, 
already  convinced  that  a  "nigger  will  steal,"  only  needed  to 
hear  such  a  statement  to  convince  him  that  the  women  were 
guilty  of  stealing  his  meat.  It  mattered  not  to  him  that  no 
bacon  was  missing,  nor  that  the  meathouse  showed  no  signs  of 
having  been  tampered  with. 

"Wall,  boy,  youse  in  a  pretty  fix,  now,  ain't  you?  'Cused 
of  killing' nigger  wenches'.  Yo'  brother  he  say  youse  a  dis- 
grace to  the  family.  Wall,  all  I  got  ter  say  is,  I'se  on  yer 
bon',  an'  no  Grand  Jury  will  'diet  yer,  an'  no  harm  will  come 
ter  yer.  Yo'  tell  Old  Sue  I  wants  her  ter  come  hy re;  I  want 
ter  see  her." 

Buck  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  get  Old  Sue  to  talk 
with  his  father.  He  hurried  to  Sue's  cabin,  where  he  found 
her  dozing  by  the  door,  with  her  corncob  pipe  in  her  lap. 

' '  Sue,  pappy  wants  to  see  yer.  He  wants  to  ask  yer  about 

113 


114  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

them  Overley  'niggers'.  I  told  him  what  yer  told  me  and 
what  I  see  them  'niggers'  do  myself." 

"Yer  tell  yo'  pappy  I'se  got  no  time  ter  was'  wid  him.  Yo' 
tell  yo '  pappy  dat  I  'se  to  home. ' ' 

"But,  Sue,  pappy  says 

"Go  'long,  boy.  What  I  car'  what  yo'  pappy  say.  Yo'  tell 
him  I'se  to  home."  And  she  laughed  at  her  own  cleverness. 

Buck  went  back  to  his  father  and  told  him  that  Sue  was 
sulky,  but  she  would  be  up  to  the  house  in  a  few  minutes. 
Nick  waited  more  than  an  hour  for  Sue,  and  then  went  in 
search  of  her  himself.  He  found  her  where  Buck  had  left 
her,  sitting  beside  her  cabin,  smoking. 

"Sue,"  said  Nick,  with  a  great  show  of  wrath,  "why  the 
h —  don 't  yer  come  when  I  send  f er  yer  ?  Do  yer 

"Look  out,  white  man!"  exclaimed  Sue,  interrupting  Nick 
with  kindling  anger.  "Dose  yer  know  who  yo'  is  talkin'  at? 
I'se  telled  yo'  fo'  now  dat  I  don't  'low  no  white  man  ter  talk 
ter  me  dat  way.  Yo'  jes'  mod 'rate  yo'  tune  ef  yo'  wants  me 
ter  talk  ter  yer.  Now,  what's  yo'  gwine  say?" 

"Sue,  I  wants  the  facts  'bout  them  'niggers'  of  Overleys. " 
said. Nick,  meekly.  "Buck  tells  me  thet  yer  caught  'em  in 
my  meathouse.  Is  thet  so?" 

"Say,  man,  ef  Buck  tell  yo'  dat,  what  yo'  ax  me  fer;  ain't 
dat  'nough?"  answered  Sue,  with  great  dignity. 

"Yes;  but,  Sue,  I  wants  ter  know  what  yer  did  see.  Ain't 
yer  never  goin'  ter  1'arn  to  act  lek  a  lady  ?  D —  ef  I  ever  seed 
a  woman  lek  yer.  Yer  never  keeps  yer  word  with  nobody." 

Nick  said  this  very  meekly,  careful  not  to  anger  Black  Sue 
further. 

"Keep  my  word!"  yelled  Sue.  "Yo's  a  nice  one  ter  tell 
folks  'bout  keepin'  dey  word.  Does  yo'  'member  dat  yo' 
promised  me  er  greenback  mor'n  six  mon?  Yo's  a  nice  one, 
I  swar Man,  yo'  go  long.  I  tells  yo'  nuttin'." 

After  Sue  made  this  speech  she  lighted  her  pipe,  closed  her 
eyes  and  seemed  to  forget  that  Nick  was  in  existence.  Nick 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  115 

observed  her  for  some  moments,  well  knowing  that  it  would  be 
useless  to  question  her  further.  He  took  from  his  pocket  a 
roll  of  bills,  from  which  he  selected  a  dollar,  saying  in  a  very 
kind  voice: 

"Sue,  I'se  glad  yer  called  my  min'  to  that  ar'  dollar; 
hyer's  hit.  Yer's  rnor'n  welcome.  I'd  er  gin  hit  ter  yer 
'fore  now  had  yer  sade  the  word." 

Sue  eyed  the  money  for  a  moment ;  then  she  reached  for  it 
with  all  the  eagerness  of  a  vulture  swooping  down  on  a  carcass 
of  carrion.  As  soon  as  she  obtained  possession  of  the  money 
she  resumed  her  pipe,  and  her  silence  in  the  most  aggravating 
manner.  Nick  noted  from  Sue's  attitude  that  she  did  not 
intend  to  talk,  but  he  thought  he  would  try  again. 

"Sue,  what  did  yer  say  'bout  them  Overley  'niggers'?  I 
wants  ter  know." 

"Wai,  ef  yo'  wants  ter  know,  yo'  knows  how  ter  find  out," 
answered  Sue,  and  she  resumed  her  pipe  with  the  same  exas- 
perating indifference. 

Nick  knew  only  too  well  that  Sue  meant  to  make  him  pay 
her  to  talk.  He  thought,  however,  he  \vould  try  persuasion. 

"Sue,"  he  said,  very  kindly,  "yer  is  the  on'est  gal  on  this 
whole  place  thet  T  kin  pen'  on.  Yer  is  the  on'est  one  thet 
ever  watches  my  stuff,  thet  keers  'nuff  'bout  me  ter  study 
ray  interest.  I  gives  yer  credit  fer  thet.  An' " 

"Yes,  an  I'se  de  onl'est  one  dat  yo'  nebber  gins  nut-tin* 
to;  I  tells  yo'  dat.  I  studies  yo'  good  and  gits  nuttin'  fer 
hit.  I  isn't  gwine  to  do  it  no  mo',"  interrupted  Sue. 

"Wall,  Sue,  did  yer  ever  tell  me  thet  yer  felt  thet  way. 
Why,  in  course  yer  didn't.  How's  I  going  ter  know  thet  yer 
be  dissatis'  onless  yer  say  so.  Say,  ole  gal,  yer  tek  this," 
handing  her  another  dollar  bill,  "an'  brace  up  an'  feel  lek 
yer  did  in  them  days  when  1  uster  buy  yer  them  bright  caliker 
dresses.  I  tell  yer,  Sue,  in  them  days  yer  was  the  bes'  lookin' 
gal  in  all  the  county.  Lor ',  how  the  bucks  uster  run  arter  yer 
ontil  I  thought  they  was  too  fresh,  and  then  I  would  make 


116  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

'em  cut  lines.     Them  was  good  ole  days,  Sue;  now,  warn't 
they?" 

''Yes,  dey  war,"  answered  Sue;  "but  yo'  gin  me  mor'  in 
a  mont'  in  dem  days  den  yo'  gin  me  now  in  er  yeah.  Dat  yo' 
did.  What  dat  yo '  ax  me  now  'bout  dem  stuck-up  '  niggers '  ? " 

"Yer  is  right,  Sue;  them  is  stuck-up  'niggers'.  They  never 
did  lek  yer  nor  yer  pickaninnies.  I  jes'  wants  ter  know  what 
yer  kotch  'em  doin '  ? "  said  Nick. 

"Wall,  de  trut'  am,  dat  I  hain't  kotch  dem  doin'  nuttin' 
I  jes'  see  dem  crossin'  de  lot  down  by  de  smokehouse.  Dat  am 
all.  Now,  I  tells  dat  ter  yo'  Buck,  an'  he  put  de  res'  ter  hit. 
Dem  'niggers'  war  stuck  up,  but  dey  warn't  de  kind  dat 
steals.  Dem  was  hones'  'niggers,'  dey  war." 

Black  Sue  knew  the  truthfulness  of  this  statement  and 
watched  very  closely  for  its  effect  on  Nick.  She  noticed  that 
he  was  startled  and  became  nervous. 

She  remarked  that  she  knew  a  "heap  'bout  what  dey  war 
doin'  de  night  of  de  troubles." 

* '  Sue,  ole  gal, ' '  said  Nick,  ' '  I  wants  ter  know  all  'bout  thet 
d —  row.  Hyre  tek  this  an'  git  yerse'f  a  nice  caliker  dress," 
handing  her  a  five-dollar  bill,  which  he  did  not  notice  in  his 
excitement;  "now,  tell  me  'bout  hit." 

"Wall,  all  I  knows  is,  dat  dem  boys  follow  dem  'niggers'  to 
dey  cabin  an '  tek  dem  outen  hit  an '  say  dey  had  been  stealin ' 
yo'  bacon.  Den  dey  flog  dem  and  dey  die.  Dat  is  the  trut. 
so  hep  me  God." 

Nick  stood  looking  at  Sue  with  a  mind  to  strike  her,  but  his 
good  judgment,  together  with  the  knowledge  of  his  former 
experiences,  deterred  him.  He  said  finally: 

"All  yer  d —  'niggers'  is  jes'  alek,"  and  departed  in  high 
dudgeon.  Black  Sue  laughed  to  herself,  remarking  that  she 
"warn't  goin'  ter  hab  all  de  'niggers'  arter  her  an'  her  ehil- 
lern  on'  dey  'count.  Dem  women  my  color,  an'  I'se  goin'  ter 
stan'  by  dem." 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  117 

As  Nick  moved  off  toward  the  house  he  soliloquized: 
"Wall,  thet  do  beat  h — .  Thet  'nigger  wench' — is  clean 
outen  my  hearin'? — tek  my  money  an'  not  tell  me  nuttin' 
I'll  sho  git  even.  Yo'll  see.  When  thet  Grand  Jury  meets 
we  is  got  ter  'pend  on  dem  white  men  an'  Ole  Si.  I  dunno 
what  we  would  do  widouten  him. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ALCOLM  and  Abe  had  been  informed  that  Abe's 
mother  and  sister  Lucy  had  died  very  suddenly, 
and  that  there  was  trouble  on  the  plantation 
because  of  their  deaths;  also,  that  it  was  advisable  for  them 
not  to  come  home,  as  they  would  arrive  too  late  for  their 
burials.  Abe  was  prostrated.  He  could  not  understand  why 
he  had  not  been  telegraphed  at  once.  Malcolm,  Forbes  and 
Rattles  were  unusually  kind  to  him,  which  only  augmented  his 
uneasiness.  Forbes  was  careful  to  keep  the  newspapers  from 
him.  It  was  soon  known  about  the  College,  however,  that 
Abe's  mother  and  sister  had  been  lynched  and  that  Buck 
Lashum  and  his  friends  were  under  arrest,  charged  with  their 
murder.  How  to  keep  the  truth  from  Abe  longer  was  the 
all-absorbing  question  before  the  three  friends.  While  dis- 
cussing ways  and  means  to  keep  Abe  in  ignorance  of  the 
manner  of  his  mother's  and  sister's  death,  Malcolm,  Forbes 
and  Rattles  were  surprised  in  Rattles  room  by  Abe,  just  as 
Rattles  remarked,  *  *  I  tell  you,  fellows,  Abe  should  have  been 
told  at  first." 

Abe  heard  the  latter  part  of  this  remark  as  he  entered  the 
room, 

' '  I  should  have  been  told  what,  fellows  ? "  he  asked. 

The  three  boys  were  so  surprised  by  Abe's  appearance  that 
they  betrayed  themselves.  Abe  noticed  their  confusion. 

1  'Say,  fellows,  what  is  this  conspiracy?  Why,  what  is  the 
matter  ? "  he  asked,  as  no  one  appeared  to  be  willing  to  answer 
him.  Abe  observed  them  carefully,  apparently  reading  their 
very  thoughts.  Finally,  he  sank  upon  a  chair  and  said: 

"Malcolm,  tell  me  about  my  mother.  You  fellows  know 
more  about  her  death  than  I  do. " 

Abe  made  this  request  in  such  a  pitiful,  heartrending  way 


118 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  119 

that  Malcolm  turned  from  him  to  hied  his  tears.  Rattles 
remarked : 

"Abe,  I  am  afraid  you  stay  in  your  room  too  much;  come 
with  me  to  the  campus. ' ' 

Abe  permitted  himself  to  be  led  from  the  room  by  Rattles, 
who  said  to  Forbes:  "Tell  DeVaux  and  his  friend  to  meet  us 
down  on  the  campus." 

Soon  Rattles  and  Abe  were  joined  by  Malcolm  and  Forbes, 
together  with  the  other  young  men.  As  soon  as  Abe  saw 
Malcolm,  he  attempted  to  take  him  to  one  side  and  ask  him 
about  the  part  of  the  conversation  he  had  overheard  in  Rat- 
tles 's  room,  feeling  that  he  still  had  something  to  learn  con- 
cerning his  mother's  death. 

Rattles  noticed  the  movement  and  signaled  DeVaux  to 
follow,  which  he  did,  remarking:  "You  fellows  shall  have  no 
secrets  from  the  rest  of  us.  Overley,  tell  us  about  this  sad 
affair." 

"No,  I  cannot,"  said  Malcolm;  "your  friend  here  has  kept 
in  touch  with  the  case ;  let  him  tell  you. ' ' 

Abe  was  conscious  of  the  solemn  manner  in  which  Malcolm 
spoke ;  also  of  the  solemn  faces  about  him.  He  sank  upon  the 
ground  in  an  attitude  that  College  boys  know  well,  and  said: 

"Fellows,  I  am  ready  to  be  crucified." 

The  Tennesseean  began  by  saying:  "Overly,  you  may  be 
crucified  before  I  have  related  all  that  I  know  of  this  affair, 
but  you  must  bear  up  like  a  man.  We  employed  a  man  to  go 
to  your  home  to  learn  the  facts.  We  learn  that  during  your 
father's  absence  your  mother  and  sister  were " 

"Lynched!"  yelled  Abe,  as  he  bounded  to  his  feet  and 
grasped  the  Tennesseean  by  the  shoulder  in  a  grip  that  caused 
him  great  pain,  but  which  he  bore  without  flinching.  Abe's 
manner  and  appearance  were  so  changed  that  his  friends 
feared  for  his  reason.  His  eyes  bulged  from  their  socket*, 
they  seemed  to  flash  fire.  He  looked  a  full  foot  taller.  His 
hands  worked  convulsively.  His  neck  was  swollen.  He  did 


120  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

not  seen  to  breathe.  He  looked  the  very  incarnation  of  the 
avenging  demon.  This  Was  a  terrible  tableau,  lasting  for 
several  moments.  All  stood  looking  at  Abe  in  awe.  They 
were  conscious  he  would  wreak  a  terrible  vengeance  when  his 
time  for  vengeance  came.  Finally,  Abe  sat  down  and  said : 

"Fellows,  I  will  listen,  but  I  see  the  whole  thing  now.  I 
know  that  my  mother  and  my  sister  were  both  killed.  By 
whom  ?  Why  were  they  killed  ?  Why  was  I  not  told  at  once  ? 
Malcolm,  why  did  you  keep  this  from  me  all  these  weeks? 
Their  murderers  may  have  escaped  by  this  time." 

"No,  they  are  awaiting  the  action  of  the  Grand  Jury.  They 
are  under  heavy  bonds,"  said  the  Tenesseean. 

' '  Who  are  these  people  ?    Who  are  under  bond  ? ' '  asked  Abe. 

The  Tennesseean  answered  after  a  moment's  thought: 
' '  Buck  Lashum,  two  Wardemans  and  two  Smaly s.  The  Grand 
Jury  will  hear  their  cases  tomorrow. ' ' 

After  a  long  silence,  Abe,  as  if  speaking  to  himself,  said: 

"So,  this  is  done  to  be  avenged  on  me.  Oh,  my  poor 
mother !  I  am  the  cause  of  your  death !  Can  there  be  a  just 
God !  Mother,  so  surely  as  you  are  dead,  I  will  avenge  you ! ' ' 

The  boys  thought  it  best  not  to  tell  Abe,  at  this  time,  of  the 
manner  in  which  his  mother  lost  her  life.  So  they  slowly 
returned  to  their  rooms,  Abe  walking  between  Malcolm  and 
Rattles  like  one  in  a  dream.  When  ihey  reached  the  hall 
DeVaux  and  his  friend  stopped;  each  extended  a  hand  to 
Abe,  the  Tennesseean  remarking: 

"Overley,  I  have  said  to  you  before  that  I  am  your  friend. 
I  am  still  your  friend.  My  services  and  my  funds  are  at 
your  disposal;  command  me  and  them." 

"Abe,  I  am  with  you  to  the  same  extent  that  my  friend  is; 
command  me,"  said  DeVaux. 

"I  thank  you  both.  Your  God  alone  knows  what  I  may 
need!"  exclaimed  Abe. 

The  two  young  men  then  left  Abe  and  his  friends,  as  their 
rooms  were  not  in  the  same  hall  in  which  Abe 's  and  Malcolm 's 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  121 

were;  for  they,  true  to  their  Southern  blood,  had,  when  they 
first  came  to  Oberlin,  refused  to  live  under  the  same  roof  with 
Abe  and  the  rest  of  the  Negro  students  who  were  in  this 
building.  When  Abe  and  his  friends  reached  his  room  there 
was  a  long  silence,  which  was  broken  by  Malcolm  saying : 

"Abe,  we  all  sympathize  with  you.  What  can  we  do  to 
help  you  in  this  matter?" 

"I  want  to  go  home!  I  want  to  see  my  mother's  grave! 
Malcolm,  why  did  you  keep  this  from  me?"  he  asked,  and 
then  added  :  * '  Can  there  be  a  God  ?  Can  there  be  a  just  God  ? 
Can  there  be  laws  to  reach  such  people  ?  Can  there  be  nothing 
that  governs  the  universe  but  the  avenging  demon?" 

Abe  had  now  risen  to  his  feet,  towering  above  his  friends  in 
his  rage.  He  called  out  again  in  his  madness: 

"If  there  be  a  demon;  if  there  be  a  devil;  if  there  be  an 
imp  of  hell;  if  there  be  a  force  that  will  turn  blood  to  gall, 
love  to  hate,  good  to  bad — come  to  me  that  I  may  feel  thy  full 
force;  come  to  me  that  I  may  forget  that  I  arn  human,  until 
I  have  avenged  this  wrong,  perpetrated  upon  my  mother  and 
sister!  By  all  the  imps  of  hell,  this  was  done  to  be  avenged 
on  me !  Oh,  my  poor  mother !  I  am  the  cause  of  your  unnat- 
ural death!  By  the  God  that  made  me,  and  with  the  aid  of 
the  demons  of  hell,  whose  help  I  implore,  I  will  be  revenged ! 
You  hear  me,  fellows?  I  will  be  revenged!" 

The  three  young  men  stood  looking  at  Abe,  conscious  that 
all  that  was  human  in  him,  all  that  was  good  in  his  nature, 
had  succumbed  to  the  brute  instinct  of  human  nature  for 
revenge.  Suddenly,  Abe  turned  to  Malcolm  and  demanded, 
in  a  tone  and  with  a  look  that  Malcolm  had  never  heard  nor 
seen  before: 

"Malcolm,  why  did  you  fellows  keep  this  from  me?" 

Rattles,  the  only  one  who  seemed  to  be  able  to  cope  with  the 
situation,  said: 

"Abe,  stop  a  moment  and  consider.  See  the  rage  you  are 
in.  You  cannot  govern  yourself  now.  What  would  you  have 


122 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


done  at  your  home  when  all  this  excitement  was  on?  You, 
by  yourself?  We  talked  over  the  matter  among  ourselves. 
Malcolm  wanted  to  go  home  with  you.  He  was  ready  to 
place  his  life  at  your  disposal.  He  argued  that  you  should 
avenge  your  mother's  and  sister's  death.  But  he  was  per- 
suaded that  the  time  was  not  come.  Now,  Abe,  listen.  The 
school  year  is  now  nearly  over.  You  and  Malcolm  will  soon 
be  going  home.  Then  you  can  ferret  out  the  guilty  parties. 
You  can  do  nothing  now.  From  the  beginning  Malcolm 
wanted  you  to  know ;  so  do  not  blame  him.  Yesterday  I  talked 
this  matter  over  with  Dr.  Finley,  and  he  told  me  to  bring  you 
to  him.  Will  you  go  ?  I  think  Mr.  Donewell  has  also  had  this 
matter  investigated.  Abe,  your  friends  are  doing  all  they  can 
to  have  those  persons  indicted;  but,  as  you  know,  the  Grand 
Jury  may  fail  to  indict.  Let  us  go  to  the  Doctor's  office." 

"Abe, "  said  Malcolm,  "I  have  felt  all  along  that  you 
should  know  all  about  this  deed;  but  the  majority  of  our 
friends  thought  it  best  for  you  not  to  know,  as  you  would 
naturally  want  to  go  home,  where  you  could  do  no  good.  I 
was  willing  to  go  with  you,  and  I  am  still  willing  to  go.  I  will 
aid  you  in  any  way  to  right  this  wrong.  I  hope  you  do  not 
think,  Abe,  that  I  will  desert  you  in  your  hour  of  need?" 

*  *  Malcolm,  I  cannot  think.  I  know  you  and  your  father  are 
my  best  friends.  I  know  you  and  he  will  aid  me.  I  will  need 
your  help." 

The  young  men  clasped  hands  in  a  friendly  manner.  Sud- 
denly Abe  said:  "Stay  here  six  weeks?  Why,  fellows,  I  am 
going  tonight.  How  can  I  study  now  ? ' ' 

"Abe,  I  took  the  responsibility  upon  myself  to  make  an 
engagement  for  you  with  Dr.  Finley.  Will  you  go  to  see 
him  before  you  decide  to  leave  the  College  ? ' '  asked  Battles. 

"Yes,  Rattles,  we  will  go,"  was  Abe's  answer. 

When  the  boys  reached  Dr.  Finley 's  office  the  good  Doctor 
met  them  very  pleasantly. 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  123 

"Doctor,"  said  Rattles,  "I  have  brought  Mr.  Overley  to 
see  you.  We  have  been  discussing  his  bereavement,  and " 

"Yes!  Yes!"  said  the  Doctor,  who  seemed  to  divine  Rat- 
tles's  intentions.  "I  have  been  expecting  Mr.  Overley  for 
some  days." 

Rattles  gave  the  Doctor  a  full  account  of  all  that  had  trans- 
pired, and  also  Abe's  determination  to  go  home  at  once.  The 
Doctor  took  Abe  by  the  hand  and  drew  him  to  a  chair  by  his 
side.  He  invited  the  boys  to  listen.  He  then  went  over 
the  whole  case,  dwelling  upon  the  enormity  of  the  crimes, 
the  flimsy  excuse  for  them,  and  the  environment  amidst  which 
the  people  live,  who  tolerate  such  crimes  in  their  midst.  He 
finished  by  asking  Abe  what  he  expected  to  do  after  he  got 
back  home,  provided  he  should  go  at  once. 

Abe,  who  had  been  quietly  listening  to  the  Doctor,  arose  to 
his  feet,  extended  his  hands  toward  the  heavens,  remarking 
with  great  bitterness: 

' '  Doctor,  I  intend  to  go  home  and  kill !  kill !  kill !  My  poor 
old  mother's  blood  cries  for  vengeance.  I  hear  it  as  it  falls 
to  the  earth.  It  calls  to  me  drop  by  drop,  as  it  is  drawn  from 
her  emaciated  body  by  the  brutal  hands  of  her  lynchers.  Oh, 
my  poor  mother!  Poor  and  lowly  that  you  were;  slave,  but 
virtuous  and  true;  ignorant,  but  wise  in  the  duties  of  life; 
look  down  from  thy  celestial  home  upon  me,  thine  only  son; 
search  my  innermost  heart,  where,  if  one  drop  of  blood  has  its 
resting  place,  that  calls  not  for  vengeance,  that  falters  even 
for  an  instant  in  that  purpose,  dry  it  up.  Call  me  not  thy  son 
should  I  not  bring  down  upon  the  heads  of  thy  murderers  a 
like  fate!" 

"But,  Mr.  Overley,  consider  that  to  which  you  are  about 
to  commit  yourself;  consider  the  great  gifts  that  God  has 
bestowed  upon  you;  consider  the  life  in  a  higher  world  to 
which  your  ability  will  surely  lead;  consider  the  wishes  of 
your  many  friends,  those  who  are  sacrificing  that  you  may 
enjoy  the  benefits  of  this  great  College ;  consider  the  wishes  of 


124 


AS     WE     SEE    IT. 


that  old  father,  who  is  now  praying  for  the  hand  that 
bereaved  him,  and  who,  even  when  he  first  received  the  terrible 
blow,  bowed  his  head  and  said,  'Lord,  Thy  Will  be  done.'  " 

Dr.  Finley  spoke  these  words  with  great  earnestness,  but 
Abe  was  unmoved. 

"Doctor,"  answered  Abe;  "I  come  from  a  race  of  men  who, 
though  slaves,  were  never  known  to  falter  in  the  performance 
of  a  duty.  My  poor  mother's  blood  calls  for  vengeance.  I 
see  that  blood,  as  she  lies  bound  and  helpless  in  the  hands  of 
her  murderers,  drawn  drop  by  drop  from  her  helpless  body. 
I  tell  you, ' '  continued  Abe,  as  he  sprang  to  the  middle  of  the 
room,  his  whole  attitude  changed  from  the  man  to  the  animal 
seeking  an  object  upon  which  to  vent  its  rage,  "her  blood 
calls  to  me;  it  calls  aloud,  Abel-like,  for  vengeance.  I  care 
not  what  befalls  me.  I  care  not  what  my  life  in  eternity  may 
be.  Aye,  I  care  not  what  your  God  may  demand.  My  poor 
mother's  blood  cries  to  me  for  vengeance,  and  I  will  answer 
that  call.  All  I  ask  is  that  the  demons  of  hell  may  lend  me 
their  strength;  that  I  may  possess  myself  of  the  bitterness, 
gall  and  hatred — the  kind  which  possessed  the  murderers  of 
my  poor  mother — in  order  that  I  may  wreak  a  vengeance  suit- 
able to  their  crime." 

Dr.  Finley  realized  it  would  be  useless  to  argue  further 
with  Abe,  and  therefore  remarked,  without  answering  Abe's 
last  outburst  of  passion,  that  he  hoped  Abe  would  see  Mr. 
Donewell  and  Miss  Watson  before  he  concluded  to  leave  the 
College.  After  some  general  remarks  the  boys  took  their 
leave. 

"Abe,"  said  Rattles,  "are  you  thinking  about  leaving  the 
College  without  first  asking  Miss  Watson's  permission?  I 
thought  you  were  more  gallant  than  that.  Do  you  want  her 
to  follow  you,  seeking  an  apology  ? ' ' 

Rattles  said  this  with  a  view  to  relieving  the  strain  under 
which  they  were  laboring.  Abe  did  not  answer  Rattles,  but 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  125 

he  seemed  to  be  in  deep  thought.  He  seemed  not  to  have 
noticed  Rattles'  little  pleasantry. 

Suddnly  Abe  remarked:  "That  is  so;  I  did  not  think  of 
her.  Well,  I  can  see  her  tomorrow." 

This  gave  Rattles  an  idea.  He  determined  to  see  Miss 
Watson  before  Abe  saw  her.  He  went  next  morning  to  the 
young  lady's  home  and  explained  to  her  Abe's  intention  to 
leave  the  College  and  go  home  to  revenge  himself  upon  the 
murderers  of  his  mother.  He  asked  her  good  offices  in  per- 
suading Abe  to  remain  until  the  end  of  the  school  year,  which 
she  promised  to  use. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

FTER  the  departure  of  Abe  and  his  friends,  Mr.  Done- 
well  came  into  the  Doctor's  office  in  company  with 
Dean  Sternly  and  several  of  the  College  professors. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  Doctor,  "you  have  come  too  late. 
I  have  just  had  a  most  interesting  interview  with  the  young 
Negro,  Overley  from  Alabama.  His  friends  brought  him  to 
me.  They  wished  me  to  talk  to  him,  to  try  to  calm  him,  and, 
if  possible,  to  persuade  him  to  stay  in  the  College  until  the 
end  of  the  school  year.  I  did  my  best,  but  only  succeeded  in 
arousing  all  the  animal  in  him.  I  suggested " 

' '  That  was  very  easy  to  do,  was  it  not,  Doctor  ? ' '  interrupted 
Professor  Smirchum. 

"I  do  not  understand  you,  Professor,"  answered  the 
Doctor. 

"Well,  these  Negroes  have  a  great  deal  of  animal  in  them 
and  it  only  requires  a  slight  offense  to  arouse  them  to  a  point 
at  which  they  become  dangerous,"  answered  the  Professor. 

"  I  do  not  agree  with  you,  Professor, ' '  said  Dean  Sternly ; 
* '  your  statement  is  too  broad.  We  have  thirty  Negroes  in  the 
College,  who  are  subject  to  slurs  and  insults  from  the  South- 
ern boys ;  but  we  have  only  one  case  of  disorder  resulting  from 
a  Negro's  resenting  these  insults.  In  that  case  a  Southern 
boy,  after  provoking  an  assault,  was  slapped  in  the  face,  but 
did  not  retaliate.  No,  Professor,  you  are  too  hasty  in  your 
judgment.  You  do  not  judge  these  boys  as  you  do  the  other 
students.  Why  assume  that  they  are  carried  away  by  the 
same  animal  instincts  that  governed  their  forebears?  They 
are  several  generations  removed  from  them." 

"You  gentlemen  interrupted  Dr.  Finley,"  said  Dr.  Done- 
well.  "He  was  about  to  tell  us  what  he  suggested  to  this 
young  man.  I  am  very  much  interested  in  this  student  and 
want  to  hear  the  Doctor's  story." 

126 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  127 

"Well,  I  will  continue,"  said  the  Doctor.  "This  young 
man  has  just  lost  his  mother  and  sister,  who  were  lynched,  as 
you  may  know.  He  has  about  made  up  his  mind  to  leave  the 
College  at  once.  I  tried  to  persuade  him  to  remain  until  the 
end  of  the  school  year.  I  talked  to  him  like  a  father.  I  told 
him  of  the  enormity  of  these  crimes,  of  the  punishment  that 
would  overtake  the  murderers,  of  his  intellectual  gifts,  of  his 
bright  future,  of  the  old  father  who  was  praying  for  him.  I 
suggested  all  I  could  to  him.  He  sat  silent  while  I  talked, 
but  when  I  asked  him  what  he  would  do,  should  he  go  home  at 
once,  he  bounded  to  the  middle  of  the  room  with  a  cry  that 
startled  me,  and  said :  '  Doctor,  I  shall  go  home  and  kill !  kill ! 
kill ! '  His  words  were  not  spoken  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice,  but 
with  an  intensity,  a  force,  that  made  them  cut  like  steel.  He 
stood  towering  above  us,  with  his  hands  extended  to  the 
heavens,  his  eyes  emitting  the  most  peculiar  flame,  his  whole 
being  suggesting  the  incarnation  of  the  evil  one.  Gentlemen, 
when  he  said,  'Doctor,  I  shall  go  home  and  kill!  kill!  kill!' 
his  wrath  was  something  terrible.  Then  he  moaned,  *  Oh,  my 
poor  mother !  I  am  the  cause  of  your  unnatural  death !  Thy 
blood  calls  for  vengeance,  and  I  will  answer  that  call.'  His 
agony  was  as  deep  and  heartrending  as  his  wrath  was  bitter 
and  uncontrollable.  Gentlemen,  I  would  that  all  of  you  had 
witnessed  these  outbursts.  What  will  this  young  man  do 
when  he  reaches  his  home?  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  he 
will  keep  his  vow.  He  will  surely  kill  those  who  participated 
in  the  lynching  of  his  mother.  He,  in  his  blind  fury,  can  see 
but  the  one  way  to  avenge  his  wrong.  I  predict  for  him  a 
carnival  of  blood." 

' '  Doctor,  do  you  think  that  what  you  have  just  said  is  pos- 
sible in  a  Negro?"  asked  Professor  Smirchum. 

"Professor,  your  question  is  not  quite  clear  to  me.  Explain 
more  fully,"  said  Dr.  Finley. 

"Well,  we  all  know  that  the  Negro  is  an  inferior  being. 
That " 


128 


AS     WE     SEE    IT. 


"You  state  your  conclusion,  Professor,  and  reason  back  to 
your  premises,"  said  Dean  Sternly.  "You  will  pardon  me 
for  saying  that  this  is  a  most  unusual  manner  of  reasoning, 
and  one  to  which  you  resort  only  when  you  have  the  Negro 
under  discussion.  Why  say,  'we  all  know  the  Negro  is  thus 
and  so,'  when  the  facts  before  us  are  just  to  the  contrary? 
In  your  class  report  of  last  year  you  say,  to  use  your  own 
words,  '  Overley  is  an  exceptional  Negro ;  I  may  say  an  excep- 
tional man.'  I  did  not  know  then  what  you  meant,  nor  do 
I  know  now.  I  can  simply  guess.  How  a  student  can  be 
exceptional,  and  be  less  than  a  man,  is  a  point  upon  which  I 
beg  you  to  enlarge.  But  this  'exceptional  Negro'  is  the  one 
under  discussion,  not  the  race  to  which  he  belongs.  Will 
he  adhere  to  his  vow?  I  agree  with  Dr.  Finley,  that  he  will 
surely  kill  the  murderers  of  his  mother. 

"He  has  been  educated,  developed,  I  may  say,  up  to  the 
point  that  has  been  reached  by  our  civilization,  where  men 
take  the  lives  of  one  another  in  revenge  for  the  lives  of  their 
kindred  or  for  wrongs  perpetrated  upon  their  women.  How 
is  it  possible  for  a  Negro,  or  a  man  of  any  race,  to  live 
amongst  us,  be  educated  in  our  schools,  take  on  our  civili- 
zation, and  differ  from  us  in  this  respect?  I  grant  that 
there  is  a  class  of  Negroes  who  have  been  taught  that  it  is  a 
crime  against  God,  for  which  there  is  no  forgiveness,  for  them 
to  take  the  life  of  a  white  man.  I  may  add  that  they  think  it 
is  even  wrong  to  strike  one;  but  this  Negro,  Overley,  is  not 
of  that  type,  and  that  old  type  is  now  the  exception  rather 
than  the  rule.  No,  Professor,  your  conclusion  is  not  tenable. 
Pardon  me,  you  reason  backward.  This  Negro  is  a  white  man, 
in  the  sense  that  his  ambitions  and  his  desires  for  the  good 
things  of  this  world  are  identical  with  yours.  He  loved  his 
mother  and  he  loves  his  home.  His  feelings  are  outraged  by 
the  manner  of  his  mother 's  taking  off.  He  says  her  blood  calls 
for  vengeance.  He  sees  her  bound  and  helpless,  being  lashed 
to  death.  He  sees  no  difference  between  a  white  murderer  and 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  129 

a  black  one.  He  has  never  been  taught  that  a  white  man's 
person  is  sacred.  He  resolves  to  kill.  What  else  can  you 
expect?  What  would  a  white  man  do?  What  would  you 
do  ?  I  am  almost  prepared  to  acquiesce  in  his  resolution  and 
bid  him  Godspeed.  But  I  remember  'Thou  shalt  not  kill.' 
Were  I  this  young  man,  placed  as  he  is,  could  I  withstand  the 
desire  for  revenge  that  is  born  in  every  human  being  ?  Would 
the  Mosaic  Law  deter  me?  With  all  the  avenues  of  justice 
through  the  courts  cut  off,  compelled  to  combat  a  sentiment 
which  sanctions  such  atrocities,  living  in  a  community  that 
bids  him  be  silent,  because  his  mother  deserved  to  die,  and 
that  it  was  fit  and  proper  for  those  young  brutes  to  take  her 
life — I  repeat,  placed  in  his  stead,  could  I,  could  you,  resist 
the  impulse  to  avenge  her  death?  Would  you  not  avenge 
your  mother's  murder?  Would  you  do  your  mother  justice 
not  to  avenge  her?  I  do  not  condemn  the  man  who  seeks 
vengeance.  I  leave  these  matters  for  each  person  to  decide 
according  to  his  personal  feelings. ' ' 

"Dean  Sternly,"  said  Professor  Narrows,  "do  you  consider 
your  doctrine  of  revenge  a  sound  one  ?  Is  it  one  that  should 
be  inculcated  into  the  minds  of  these  Negroes  ? ' ' 

"I  have  no  doctrine  of  revenge,  nor  have  I  said  to  incul- 
cate any  such  doctrine  into  their  minds,"  answered  Dean 
Sternly,  hotly.  "I  have  said  that  the  desire  for  revenge  is 
an  attribute  of  human  nature,  controlled  only  by  the  will  of 
the  individual.  In  the  case  under  discussion,  and  in  all  sim- 
ilar cases,  the  only  remedy,  the  only  means  of  eradicating  this 
terrible  evil,  is  to  teach  the  lynchers,  by  example,  that  they 
will  meet  like  fates.  Men  who  gather  in  mobs  and  kill  are 
not  of  the  class  who  will  face  death  individually.  Men  who 
are  brave  in  mobs,  when  attacking  a  single  person,  will  not 
even  attack  that  person  with  a  mob  when  they  know  that 
retribution  will  certainly  follow  them.  You  gentlemen  have 
a  certain  code  of  ethics  along  those  lines  for  yourself  and  a 
different  one  for  these  Negroes.  You  say  that  he  must  not 


130  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

look  at  your  women,  but  at  the  same  time  his  women  are  not 
safe  from  you.  That  for  which  he  is  lynched  you  simply 
smile  at  in  one  of  yourselves.  Still,  you  are  educating  him 
along  your  lines.  When  you  place  him  in  classes  along  with 
your  sons  and  daughters  he  outstrips  them  frequently  in  intel- 
lectual power ;  and  I  cannot  conceive  how  men  can  be  so  blind 
as  to  think  that  an  educated  Negro  will  be  any  less  the  man 
than  any  other  human  being  that  has  taken  on  your  education 
and  civilization. 

"You  take  the  Chinaman,  the  Japanese,  all  the  darker 
races,  in  fact,  even  the  native  African,  and  educate  and  civilize 
them,  and  then  you  point  with  pride  to  your  work.  With 
open  arms  this  product  of  your  labor  is  received  into  the  body 
politic.  But  the  American-born  Negro — it  matters  not  what 
his  early  environment,  the  social  status  of  his  parents,  nor  that 
he  has  passed  through  with  highest  praise  the  courses  here 
prescribed  by  you,  and  brought  credit  to  your  school — you 
consider  him  with  a  specially  constructed  code  of  reasoning, 
both  illogical  and  unjust,  and  force  him  outside  of  your  con- 
sideration and  social  institutions.  No  hand  is  extended  to 
him,  unless  it  brandishes  a  cudgel ;  no  door  is  opened  to  enable 
him  to  gain  an  honest  livelihood,  no  matter  how  proficient  he 
is  in  the  branches  from  which  you  have  graduated  him.  The 
American  Negro  possesses  a  something,  I  suppose,  which  you 
cannot  tolerate — a  something  that  no  other  man  nor  race  of 
men,  not  even  his  forebears,  possessed.  How  came  he  by  this 
undefinable  something?  Does  he  get  it  by  contact  with  this 
dominant  race  of  ours?  Yes.  Examine  yourselves  and  you 
will  find  the  source  of  the  trouble.  Why,  you  are  unwilling 
to  accord  him  the  same  privileges,  the  same  chance  to  earn 
a  living  and  enjoy  life  which  you  accord  other  men,  is  a 
question  which  I  have  long  pondered.  You  gentlemen,  pos- 
sibly, can  give  me  the  solution." 

"Well,  for  my  part,"  answered  Professor  Narrows,  "the 
foreigner  acts  differently  from  the  American  Negro.  You 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  131 

always  know  the  foreign  Negro ;  but  the  American  Negro  has 
an  air  about  him  that  makes  him  objectionable.  He  likes  to 
rub  against  one  too  much.  Oh,  he  presumes  to  be  one's  equal. 
I  don't  like  him  for  that." 

' '  Yes,  that  is  very  true, ' '  answered  Dean  Sternly.  ' '  That  is 
the  secret  of  the  whole  matter.  You  invite  the  Chinaman,  out 
of  whom  you  can  never  educate  his  opium ;  the  Japanese,  out 
of  whom  you  can  never  educate  his  idolatry ;  the  Malays,  Hin- 
doos, Moors,  Africans,  and  all  other  foreign  races  of  men,  you 
invite  to  come  to  you.  The  people  who  never  take  on  your 
civilization  you  bid  come.  You  repulse  the  American  Negro 
who  has  taken  on  your  civilization.  Can  you  not  see  that  that 
of  which  you  complain  is  but  the  American  idea?  How  can 
the  Negro  come  in  contact  with  you  and  your  institutions  and 
not  be  Americanized?  Why  do  you  teach  him?  You  edu- 
cate him,  then  ostracise  him,  apparently  for  taking  on  your 
teachings.  This  state  of  affairs  must  certainly  be  embarrassing 
to  the  Negro.  Professor,  if  you  are  not  willing  to  live  up  to 
the  result  of  your  work,  you  should  not  be  a  party  to  the 
tragedy  which  you  are  helping  to  enact.  I  was  born  and 
reared  in  the  South,  and  I  know  that  your  theory  and  com- 
ments are  all  wrong." 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Dr.  Finley,  "a  discussion  of  this  ques- 
tion was  had  over  forty  years  ago.  At  the  time,  the  founders 
of  this  College  concluded  that  there  were  no  white  men,  no 
black  men,  no  yellow  men,  no  red  men,  but  that  all  men  were 
alike  before  God,  and,  further,  that  this  idea  should  dominate 
the  policy  of  this  College.  From  this  ideal  it  has  never  devi- 
ated, and  so  long  as  I  remain  President  it  never  shall.  This 
brings  us  back  to  this  young  man,  Overley.  Can  he  justify 
himself  before  God,  should  he  keep  his  vow?  We  read,  'the 
avenger  of  the  blood  himself  shall  slay  the  murderer:  the 
murderer  shall  surely  be  put  to  death.'  We  would  infer 
from  this  charge  to  Moses  that  the  great  God  Almighty  con- 
templated an  avenger  of  the  blood.  Would  you  consider  it 


132  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

strange  that  this  young  man  feels,  in  the  absence  of  courts 
and  juries,  that  he  should  avenge  his  mother's  and  sister's 
deaths?  I,  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  do  not  advise  deeds 
of  violence,  but  in  this  contemplated  deed  I  am  almost  per- 
suaded that  this  young  man  is  right  in  his  determination  to 
avenge  his  mother's  death.  "When  I  think  of  this  atrocious 
crime,  the  wanton  brutality  of  the  whole  proceeding,  I  bow 
my  head  in  shame  that  such  crimes  are  perpetrated  and  coun- 
tenanced by  the  race  to  which  I  belong.  Can  this  nation  of 
ours  stand  with  this  thirst  for  blood  growing  upon  us  ?  There 
will  surely  come  a  day  of  reckoning." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

afternoon  of  the  following  day  Abe  called  upon 
Miss  Watson  with  the  avowed  intention  of  bidding 
her  good-bye.  She  greeted  him  very  cordially, 
remarking:  "You  may  come  in,  sir,  but  I  want  you  to  give 
an  account  of  yourself.  Where  have  you  been  for  the  past 
six  weeks  ?  Do  you  remember,  sir,  that  you  promised  me  that 
you  would  sing  at  our  song  services  last  Sunday?  I  am 
greatly  aggrieved  at  your  unaccountable  conduct.  I  shall 
accept  nothing  but  the  most  abject  apology.  Now,  sir,  I  am 
ready  to  listen." 

Abe  stood  looking  at  her  in  bewilderment.  He  finally  said : 
' '  Miss  Watson,  my  mind  has  been  so  paralyzed  by  my  bereave- 
ment; the  weight  of  my  burden  has  been " 

"Mr.  Overley,  why  did  you  not  come  to  me  and  permit  me 
to  share  your  burden  ?  Do  you  not  know  that  by  staying  away 
from  your  friends  at  such  times  you  not  only  burden  yourself, 
but  put  a  burden  upon  them,  unnecessarily?  I  have  waited 
all  this  time  for  an  opportunity  to  express  my  sympathy  for 
you.  I  am  very  sorry,  Mr.  Overley,  that  you  have  not  seen 
fit  to  see  me  sooner.  Do  you  think  that  I  cannot  feel  the 
terrible  blow  that  has  befallen  you?  Do  you  not  know  that 
I  am  aware  that  no  Negro,  man,  woman  or  child,  is  safe  in  the 
land  of  your  birth  from  the  kind  of  assaults  that  has  resulted 
in  your  mother's  death?  Would  I  be  safe  there?  If  I  was 
not  subject  to  one  kind  of  assault  I  would  be  to  another.  And 
so  you  have  come  to  say  good-bye?" 

"Miss  Watson,  if  you  will  permit  me  to  explain,  I 
know  you  will  agree  with  me  that  it  is  imperative  that  I  go 
home.  My  father  is  an  old  man,  very  old — seventy-four  years 
of  age.  Mr.  Overley  is  of  the  same  age.  They  are  both  too 
old  to  think  of  ferreting  out  the  persons  concerned  in  the 
deaths  of  my  mother  and  sister,  and  for  them  to  avenge  their 

133 


134  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

deaths  is  out  of  the  question.  I  say  'them.'  I,  of  course,  do 
not  expect  Mr.  Overley  to  avenge  them;  but  I  know  him  so 
well  that  I  know  he  will  aid  me.  I  am  going  home  for  no 
other  purpose  than  to  take  the  lives  of  those  who  killed  my 
mother  and  sister.  I  am  going  to  kill — kill  every  man  that 
has  my  mother's  blood  on  his  hands.  I  have  determined  to 
devote  my  life  to  the  wreaking  of  vengeance.  I  have  come  to 
make  this  confession  to  you.  I  have  come  to  confess  that  I 
am  a  murderer  at  heart  and  soon  will  be  one  in  fact.  I  am 
going  to  ask  whether,  after  I  have  stained  my  hands  in  the 
blood  of  my  mother's  murderers,  which  I  surely  will  do,  will 
you  still  want  to  see  me?  Will  you  answer  me  now  or  shall 
I  leave  you  to  consider  the  matter?" 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  have  already  considered,"  was  her  answer. 
"I  have  been  taught  'thou  shalt  not  kill' — 'love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself.'  I  have  also  read,  'an  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth 
for  a  tooth. '  As  God  is  my  guide  and  my  helper,  I  know  not 
how  to  advise  you.  But,  were  I  a  man,  nay,  woman  that  I  am, 
should  my  mother  meet  the  cruel  death  at  the  hands  of  brutal 
lynchers  that  your  mother  met,  I  would  leave  no  path 
unsearched,  no  stone  unturned;  I  would  delve  into  the  very 
bowels  of  the  earth ;  I  would  skirt  the  fires  of  hell ;  aye,  cross 
them,  in  my  endeavor  to  wreak  a  suitable  vengeance  upon  such 
brutes;  nor  would  I  feel,  until  the  last  murderer  was  slain, 
that  I  had  done  my  duty  to  my  dead.  Will  I  care  to  see  you? 
Mr.  Overley,  I  feel  this  outrage  upon  Negro  womanhood  most 
keenly.  I  feel  that  it  calls  for  a  terrible  retribution.  I  thank 
God  that  I  am  permitted  to  call  my  friend  the  one  Negro  man 
who  will  devote  his  life  to  the  punishment  of  the  perpetrators 
of  this  crime.  Will  I  care  to  see  you  ? ' '  again  she  asked,  her 
eyes  flashing,  her  slender  figure  swaying,  as  the  panther  sways 
when  about  to  leap  upon  its  prey.  "Go,  and  when  you  have 
wreaked  the  vengeance  for  which  your  mother's  blood  calls, 
be  it  one  month,  one  year,  nay,  be  it  Eternity,  I  will  wait  for 
you!" 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  135 

As  Miss  Watson,  who  was  known  for  her  passive  Christian 
spirit,  finished  this  declaration  she  extended  her  hand  to  Abe, 
who  raised  it  to  his  lips  with  the  remark:  "Miss  Watson,  I 
was  afraid  you  would  not  understand  my  motives.  I  am 
pleased  that  you  take  the  view  of  this  matter  which  I  do.  I 
am  more  than  proud  to  know  that  the  one  woman  now  left  to 
me  in  this  world  approves  of  my  determination.  Miss  Wat- 
son— may  I  say  Nancy?  I  am  proud  of  you.  I  love  you. 
I  have  always  loved  you.  I  loved  you  before  I  ever  met  you, 
or  else  how  would  our  souls  have  joined  at  sight  ?  Nancy,  you 
say  you  will  wait  for  me?  Wait  for  me  to  commit  these 
terrible  crimes — for  crimes  they  will  be?  Oh,  Nancy,  you 
have  not  said  you  loved  me ! " 

As  Abe  said  this  he  held  out  both  hands  to  her.  She  came 
close  to  him,  permitting  him  to  put  his  arms  around  her  and 
implant  a  solemn  kiss  upon  her  forehead.  Suddently  she  drew 
away  and  asked  what  his  plans  were. 

Abe  said  he  would  go  home  at  once,  to  which  she  objected. 

"Abe,  do  not  go  home  immediately;  wait  until  the  end  of 
the  school  year;  then  go  home  quietly  as  if  nothing  had  hap- 
pened. Learn  all  you  can  about  this  deed,  who  committed  it, 
and  how  it  was  done,  why  it  was  committed,  if  there  be  a 
reason.  Then  you  will  know  what  vengeance  to  wreak  and 
upon  whom.  Be  cautious.  Ingratiate  yourself  into  the  good 
graces  of  all,  until  you  know  the  whole  truth.  It  matters 
not  if  it  takes  one  year  or  two  years.  Success  is  to  be  your 
object.  To  avenge  the  death  of  two  outraged  women  is  to  be 
your  undertaking.  I  shall  expect  you  to  write  me  as  your 
hunt  progresses.  Do  you  think  that  a  good  plan?" 

1  *  Yes,  Nancy,  that  is  a  very  good  plan,  and  I  shall  act  upon 
it, ' '  said  Abe,  as  he  arose  to  leave. 

"Mr.  Overley,"  said  Miss  Watson,  "haven't  you  forgotten 
something  ? ' ' 

Abe  did  not  seem  to  comprehend  her  meaning. 

"Forgotten  what,  Nancy?"  he  asked. 


136 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 


' '  Why,  my  father,  of  course ;  you  have  forgotten  that  I  am 
a  minor,"  was  her  laughing  reply. 

"Oh,  I  will  never  forget  that;  all  girls  are  minors  up  to  a 
certain  time  in  their  lives,"  answered  Abe. 

"That  will  do,  sir;  I  will  call  father,"  and  Miss  Watson  left 
the  room. 

Mr.  Watson  was  a  substantial  citizen,  who  had  conducted 
a  grocery  business  in  Oberlin  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was 
very  fond  of  his  only  daughter  Nancy. 

"Mr.  Watson,"  said  Abe,  "you  have  been  sent  for  that  I 
may  make  two  confessions  to  you.  You  have,  no  doubt,  heard 
of  the  terrible  deaths  of  my  poor  mother  and  sister.  Well,  sir, 
I  have  vowed  to  avenge  them.  I  shall  go  home  and  kill  every 
man  who  was  concerned  in  their  taking  off.  I  confess  this  to 
you,  that  you  may  know  the  next  time  we  meet,  if  meet  we  do, 
that  I  have  the  blood  of  one  or  more  persons  on  my  hands. 
Further,  when  we  do  meet,  I  shall  ask  you  to  give  me  your 
daughter  in  marriage." 

Mr.  Watson  arose  to  his  feet,  taking  a  turn  across  the  room. 
He  stopped,  looked  Abe  full  in  the  face,  and  asked:  "Would 
you  give  your  daughter  to  a  murderer — a  double  murderer, 
maybe?" 

Abe  answered  solemnly :  * '  Mr.  Watson,  should  your  daugh- 
ter Nancy  be  foully  murdered — lynched — what  would 
you  do?" 

After  a  long  silence,  the  old  man  faltering  as  to  his  decision, 
said,  as  he  extended  his  hand  to  Abe:  "I  will  consult  my 
wife  and  daughter." 

Abe  then  left  the  house  and  returned  to  his  room. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

OON  the   day   of  his   departure   came,   and   Abe,   with 
Malcolm,  took  leave  of  the  College.    When  Abe  arrived 
home  he  found  his  father  broken  and  apparently  twenty 
years  nearer  the  end  of  his  life's  journey. 

The  old  man  greeted  his  son  without  a  word,  but  with  a 
long,  clinging  grasp  of  the  hand.  In  his  eyes  was  a  mute 
appeal,  felt  only  by  the  two  souls  that  had  been  stricken  by 
the  same  blow.  The  father  led  the  way  to  two  newly  made 
graves,  by  which  Abe  kneeled,  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and 
in  a  voice  choking  with  emotion  pleaded  with  the  Ruler  of 
the  Universe  for  strength  to  bear  his  burden. 

Abe's  father  listened,  thinking  that  perhaps  after  all  his 
son  had  accepted  the  situation  and  would  not  seek  revenge. 
The  young  man  fell  across  his  mother's  grave,  where  he 
remained  seemingly  lifeless,  while  the  father  watched  and 
waited,  hoping  that  Abe  would  soon  leave  the  graves  and  go 
with  him  to  the  house  to  greet  Mr.  Overley.  The  old  man 
finally  concluded  to  call  Mr.  Overley  and  ask  him  to  try  and 
persuade  Abe  to  go  to  the  house.  Mr.  Overley,  accompanied 
by  Malcolm,  came  to  the  quiet  burying  plot,  where  he  found 
Abe  still  prostrate  on  his  mother's  grave.  Abe's  father 
pointed  to  his  son  with  a  silent  request  for  help. 

Mr.  Overley  knelt  by  him,  taking  his  sand,  saying:  "Abe, 
my  boy,  come  to  the  house  with  me;  I  am  anxious  to  hear 
something  of  your  success  at  school.  You  cannot  help  matters 
by  grieving  over  what  is  already  done.  Boy,  I  feel  for  you. 
This  thing  is  the  most  hellish  crime  that  has  ever  been  perpe- 
trated on  woman  in  this  country.  But  what  can  you  do? 
H —  and  damnation!  What  can  you  do,  I  say?" 

Abe  arose  slowly  and  stood  looking  first  at  one  and  then 
the  other.  Finally,  he  asked  in  a  solemn  voice:  "What  can 
I  do  ?  By  the  gods !  Ask  me  what  will  I  not  do  ? " 

137 


138  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

He  again  fell  upon  his  mother's  grave,  where  he  remained 
some  moments  in  silence,  which  was  broken  by  his  father 
saying  to  him: 

"My  boy,  yo'  po'  mudder  am  in  hebben.  She  am  now 
lookin'  down  from  dem  stars  on  yo'.  She  am  sayin'  to  yo',  to 
belebe  in  de  Lawd.  Dat  de  Lawd's  will  be  done.  Oh,  my  boy ! 
Look  to  de  Lawd  fo'  he'p  in  dis  matter." 

Abe  arose  to  his  feet,  extended  his  hand  to  his  father, 
saying:  "Dad,  I  appreciate  what  you  say,  but  I  feel  that  I 
must  avenge  my  mother's  death.  Oh,  my  mother!  Oh,  my 
poor  mother!"  Again  Abe,  in  a  frenzy  of  despair,  threw 
himself  upon  his  mother's  grave,  where  he  lay  supine  and 
quivering,  moaning  that  the  great  God  Almighty  had  forsaken 
him  and  his. 

He  extended  his  hands  toward  the  heavens,  and  in  the 
stillness  of  the  night,  in  the  presence  of  his  father  and  their 
old  friend,  called  upon  the  God  that  made  him  to  register  his 
vow.  He  said:  "By  the  God  that  made  me,  by  that  silent 
breast  that  nurtured  me,  by  the  sister  of  my  childhood,  by 
all  that  I  hold  dear  in  this  world,  I  will  be  avenged !  Mother, 
may  I  ever  be  accursed  in  your  sight  if  I  do  not  avenge  you ! ' ' 

Turning  to  his  friend,  he  said:  "Mr.  Overley,  would  you 
not  consider  me  less  than  a  man  should  I  permit  these  mur- 
derers to  go  unpunished?  I  swear  to  you  that  so  surely  as 
there  is  a  God,  so  surely  as  this  brutal  deed  is  recorded  in 
heaven,  so  surely  as  there  is  an  eternity,  so  surely  as  there 
is  a  hell,  so  surely  as  the  perpetrators  of  this  crime  are  watched 
for  in  the  hell  into  which  I  shall  plunge  them,  just  so  surely 
shall  I  avenge  this  murder." 

Finding  it  impossible  to  induce  Abe  to  leave  his  mother's 
grave  and  go  with  them,  Mr.  Oberley  and  Abe's  father  reluct- 
antly left  him  there  and  returned  in  silence  to  the  great 
house.  When  they  had  gone  Abe  again  raised  his  hands  to 
the  heavens  and  exclaimed:  "Mother!  Oh,  my  poor  mother! 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  139 

Look  down  upon  thy  son !  Let  me  feel  thy  presence !  Mother, 
I  devote  my  life  to  the  wreaking  of  vengeance  upon  thy  mur- 
derers ! "  As  Abe  uttered  these  words  he  sank  once  more  upon 
his  mother's  grave,  where  he  remained  in  silence  until  morn- 
ing. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

S7  T  SOON  became  known  throughout  the  county  that  Abe 
had  returned  to  his  home.  Speculation  was  rife  as  to 
what  he  would  do  to  avenge  his  mother 's  death.  He  gave 
no  sign,  however,  as  to  what  his  intentions  or  feelings  were, 
but  set  about  quietly,  though  diligently,  to  glean  the  facts  in  the 
case.  He  soon  learned  that  Black  Sue  had  planted  the  germ 
which  led  to  the  deaths  that  bereaved  him.  He  also  learned 
that  the  crime  had  been  committed  by  Buck  Lashum,  the 
Smalys  and  the  Wardevans,  and  that  they  had  used  a  leather 
horse  trace  to  accomplish  the  horrible  deed.  The  trace,  he 
discovered,  had  been  cut  in  pieces  by  the  five  men  and  the 
pieces  taken  to  their  respective  homes  to  be  kept  as  souvenirs 
of  this  great  performance,  thus  perpetuating  in  their  families 
the  fame  of  having  participated  in  such  a  laudable  (?)  under- 
taking. Abe  concluded  that  he  would  possess  himself  of  the 
pieces  of  trace,  splice  them  together,  and  make  this  recon- 
structed trace  the  instrument  of  his  revenge.  After  some 
thought  he  concluded  to  take  Malcolm  into  his  confidence. 

"Malcolm,"  said  Abe,  one  evening  as  they  sat  in  their 
favorite  haunt,  the  corn  crib,  "I  want  to  tell  you  something, 
and  then  I  want  your  advice.  First,  I  have  discovered  by 
whom  and  just  how  my  mother  and  sister  were  killed.  Sec- 
ond, I  have  determined  how  these  lynchers  shall  be  punished. 
My  poor  mother  was  beaten  to  death  with  a  horse  trace.  Just 
think  of  it!  Seventy  years  old,  and  to  meet  such  a  death! 
And  my  sister,  nude,  was  beaten  to  death  amid  the  jeers  and 
curses  of  those  drunken  brutes ! ' ' 

As  Abe  recited  these  details  the  tears  of  rage  rolled  down 
his  cheeks,  his  head  dropped  upon  his  breast,  and  he  remained 
silent  for  a  long  time.  Malcolm,  respecting  his  grief,  waited 
for  him  to  recover.  Abe  finally  resumed,  saying:  "I  have 
also  learned  that  each  archdemon  in  this  horrible  crime  has 

140 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  141 

a  piece  of  this  trace  at  his  home,  as  a  keepsake.  I  propose  to 
possess  myself  of  those  pieces,  make  a  whole  trace  of  them, 
and  then  let  that  gang  beware !  I  shall  take  them  one  by  one, 
tie  them  to  a  tree,  and  when  I  have  finished  with  them  all  there 
will  be  five  new  graves  somewhere  in  this  county.  I  shall 
begin  with  Buck  Lashum.  There  is  but  one  thing,  Malcolm, 
that  deters  me.  I  may  be  compelled  to  enter  the  homes  of 
these  people,  especially  Buck's,  and  steal  those  pieces." 

After  a  long  silence  Malcolm  said:  "Abe,  I  do  not  think 
you  should  let  that  stop  you.  I  will  go  with  you  and  help 
you  get  them.  Then  you  will  need  someone  to  help  handle 
these  fellows.  You  cannot  do  the  whole  thing  yourself.  And, 
more,  I  want  the  pleasure  of  laying  the  strap  on  Buck.  Jim 
Wheatley  and  Jack  Connors  both  told  me  to  tell  you  they 
would  be  glad  to  help  you  in  any  way  you  might  suggest. 
What  do  you  say?" 

"No,  Malcolm,"  said  Abe;  "1  alone  must  do  this  deed. 
You  and  your  friends  will  make  this  State  and  county  your 
homes.  I  have  no  home.  If  blood  must  be  shed,  I  must  shed 
it.  There  will  be  a  price  on  my  head.  No,  it  will  never  do 
for  you  to  be  drawn  into  this  affair  in  that  way ;  you  can  help 
me  in  other  ways." 

When  Abe  had  finished  he  arose  to  his  feet,  looked  out  of 
the  door,  and  remarked:  "Well,  the  moon  has  gone  down;  I 
shall  now  go  on  my  errand  of  stealth.  My  friends  who  work 
at  the  Smalys  and  Wardemans  will  be  waiting  for  me  with 
the  different  pieces.  I  hope  I  will  have  only  Buck's  house 
to  enter,  and  I  know  exactly  where  to  find  the  piece  he  has. 
I  hope  he  will  sleep  soundly;  for  if  he  awakens  he  will  face 
his  Maker  sooner  than  he  anticipates.  When  I  return  in  the 
morning  I  will  have  the  five  pieces." 

With  this  speech  ringing  in  his  ears,  Malcolm  watched  Abe 
as  he  disappeared  in  the  gloom. 

Abe  went  to  the  Wardeman  place,  where  he  found  the  pieces 
imbedded  in  the  earth  on  the  left  side  of  the  left  post  of  the 


142  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

big  gate  at  the  main  road.  At  the  Smalys  he  found  the 
pieces  sticking  through  a  crack  in  the  barn,  six  boards  from 
the  east  corner  next  to  the  spring.  Then,  going  to  Buck 
Lahsum  's  home,  he  entered  by  a  back  window,  which  he  found 
open,  and  went  straight  to  Buck's  room,  where  he  had  been 
told  the  piece  of  trace  was  tied  to  a  picture  which  hung  over 
the  head  of  Buck's  bed.  These  instructions  flashed  through 
Abe's  mind  as  he  passed  into  Buck's  room,  all  the  while  ask- 
ing himself  what  should  he  do  if  discovered.  He  was  not 
discovered,  however,  and  reached  home  without  accident. 
Next  morning,  when  Malcolm  came  to  the  harness  room,  he 
found  Abe  busily  engaged  splicing  the  pieces  of  trace. 

" Hello,  Abe!"  exclaimed  Malcolm.  "You  are  a  successful 
pilferer,  I  see.  Tell  me,  did  you  have  any  trouble?" 

"Not  a  bit,"  answered  Abe.  "I  found  everything  just  as 
I  expected — down  by  the  big  gate  at  the  Wardemans.  sticking 
out  of  a  crack  in  the  barn  at  the  Smalys,  and  Buck  had  his 
piece  hanging  over  his  bed.  When  I  looked  upon  that  brute 
sleeping  so  peacefully,  the  vision  of  his  crime  came  upon  me. 
I  stood  over  him,  hoping  he  would  awaken,  that  I  might 
strangle  him.  I  did  not  feel  capable  of  striking  him  down 
in  his  sleep.  He  slept  on,  but  with  a  look  of  terror  on  his 
evil  countenance.  He  felt  my  very  presence,  even  in  his 
slumbers.  His  God  was  merciful  to  him.  Had  he  opened 
his  eyes,  had  he  indicated  to  me  in  any  way  that  he  was  aware 
of  my  presence — well " 

Malcolm  watched  Abe  for  some  time  in  silence,  then  asked : 
"What  will  you  do  next,  Abe?" 

"I  have  been  told  by  friends  that  Buck  is  going  to  ride  in 
the  tournament  down  on  the  Neck  next  Wednesday.  That  he 
will  be  gone  from  home  two  days.  He  is  sending  his  traps 
around  the  road,  and  will  ride  across  the  country.  Now, 
there  is  but  one  path  for  him  to  travel  after  he  leaves  the 
back  end  of  his  place,  and  that  leads  through  the  Gut  north 
of  the  swamp.  You  know  where  the  solid  ground  narrows 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  143 

to  a  neck  of  ten  feet  in  width  ?  Well,  there  I  shall  set  a  trap 
for  his  horse  which  will  cause  the  animal  to  throw  him.  I  will 
do  the  rest.  This  place  is  six  miles  from  Buck's  home,  and 
his  cries  cannot  be  heard  that  distance.  I  will  endeavor  to 
impress  upon  his  mind,  in  the  two  days  I  shall  engage  him, 
that  Negro  women  are  as  sacred  as  his  own,  and  that  Negro 
men  will  have  to  be  reckoned  with  in  the  future  when  their 
women  are  assaulted." 

' '  Abe,  don 't  make  a  brute  of  yourself  in  this  matter, ' '  said 
Malcolm.  "What  you  propose  to  do  will  be  a  terrible  punish- 
ment." 

"I  mean  for  it  to  be  terrible,"  answered  Abe.  "I  mean 
for  my  first  blow  to  strike  terror  to  the  hearts  of  these  people. 
Malcolm,  you  will  see.  But  I  must  go  and  study  the  land  at 
the  point  I  have  in  mind.  I  will  ride  Kate,  if  you  do  not 
object." 

"Do  not  what?"  said  Malcolm.  "You  are  getting  mighty 
careful  all  at  once — asking  for  the  use  of  a  horse.  I  guess  I 
had  better  tell  your  dad  that  you  want  to  use  Kate,  and  where 
you  are  going,  and  for  what  purpose." 

Both  young  men  laughed  as  Abe  rode  away.  He  rode  to 
within  fifty  yards  of  the  place,  secured  his  horse,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  lay  his  plans.  He  first  selected  a  sapling,  bent  it 
to  the  ground  at  a  point  where  bushes  overhung  the  path,  cut 
the  top  out,  and  attached  part  of  a  plow  line  to  it.  Passing 
the  line  through  the  bushes  and  once  around  a  series  of  stakes, 
driven  in  a  circle  on  either  side  of  the  path,  with  their  tops 
leaning  out,  the  plow  line  formed  a  loop  into  which  the  horse 
would  be  sure  to  step,  thus  causing  the  line  to  leave  the  tops 
of  the  stakes,  release  the  sapling  and  thereby  tighten  the  line 
around  the  horse's  leg.  Should  it  be  the  foreleg,  the  horse 
will  be  sure  to  go  down  in  front.  If  the  hind  leg  is  caught,  he 
will  plunge  and  kick,  unseating  the  rider. 

Abe  expected  to  profit  by  the  struggle  that  would  follow  the 
springing  of  his  trap.  The  afternoon  of  the  Tuesday  follow- 


144  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

ing  Abe  noted  Buck's  departure,  and  immediately  set  out  at  a 
brisk  run  for  the  place  at  which  he  hoped  to  stop  Buck  and 
his  horse.  He  had  scarcely  seated  himself  at  an  unobserved 
point,  with  his  eyes  on  the  path,  when  Buck  came  in  sight,  the 
horse  sprung  the  trap  with  his  forefoot  and  began  rearing 
and  plunging,  tearing  up  the  earth  for  yards.  Buck  fell 
heavily  to  the  ground,  and  before  he  could  recover  himself 
Abe  was  upon  him. 

Buck  was  filled  with  terror.  His  teeth  chattered;  his  lips 
were  purple;  his  eyes  bulged.  Abe  placed  a  small  rope  with 
a  running  noose  about  his  neck,  and  ordered  him  to  stand  up 
and  keep  quiet,  which  he  gladly  did.  Then,  cutting  the  line 
which  held  the  horse,  he  proceeded  with  it  and  Buck  to  a 
dense  nearby  thicket.  Buck  in  his  terror  begged  to  be  allowed 
to  go  home,  saying: 

"Mr.  Overley,  sah,  yer  knows  I  was  always  yer  friend; 
'deed  I  was.  I  'm  yer  friend  now.  What  you  treat  yer  friend 
this  way  f er  ?  Mr.  Oberley,  if  yer  let  me  go  home  I  will  have 
my  pappy  send  yer  a  dollar  and  a  half ;  'deed  I  will ! ' ' 

Abe  made  the  horse  secure,  after  which  he  fastened  the  end 
of  the  rope  that  was  about  Buck 's  neck  to  a  small  sapling  that 
was  already  bent  to  the  ground,  and  when  this  sapling  was 
released  the  rope  tightened  about  Buck's  neck  with  a  sudden- 
ness that  nearly  lifted  him  off  his  feet.  Buck  grasped  the  rope 
and  drew  the  sapling  down  to  him,  thus  taking  the  strain  off 
his  neck.  When  he  did  this,  Abe  dealt  him  a  blow  which 
caused  him  to  scream  with  pain  and  to  release  his  hold  on  the 
rope,  which  again  jerked  him  by  the  neck  to  his  toes  and  held 
him  there. 

Up  to  this  point  Abe  had  not  secured  Buck's  hands.  He 
started  toward  him  for  that  purpose.  Buck  seemed  to  divine 
his  intention  and  pleaded: 

1 '  Mr.  Overley,  f  er  God 's  sake  let  me  go  home !  My 
mammy " 

When  Buck  made  this  reference  to  his  "mammy"  Abe 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  145 

sprang  upon  him,  with  a  cry  that  resembled  a  wild  beast,  and 
dealt  him  a  blow  on  the  crown  of  his  head  with  the  trace  that, 
but  for  the  thickness  of  Buck's  skull,  would  have  crushed  it. 
Buck  threw  both  of  his  hands  into  the  air,  and  with  a  laugh 
that  appeared  not  to  be  human,  as  it  echoed  through  the  still 
forest,  sank  to  the  ground.  Abe  stood  looking  at  him  for  a 
long  time,  as  he  lay  prostrate  and  apparently  lifeless.  Sud- 
denly he  realized  that  Buck  was  getting  black  in  the  face ;  the 
rope  was  slowly  choking  him  to  death. 

He  released  Buck  and  sat  down  beside  him.  The  shades  of 
night  began  to  fall;  the  moonbeams  and  the  shadows  were 
flirting  in  the  gathering  gloom.  Buck,  to  all  appearances, 
was  dead.  Abe  watched  him  as  if  he  feared  that  even  in  death 
Buck  might  escape  him..  All  night  he  lay  motionless. 

As  the  sun  began  to  dispel  the  gloom  of  the  forest  Abe  dis- 
cerned a  movement  in  him  and  reached  forward  to  turn  his 
head  that  he  might  see  his  face,  when  Buck  suddenly  raised 
himself  to  his  elbow  and  their  eyes  met.  Abe  knew  instinct- 
ively that  he  was  facing  a  maniac.  Buck,  almost  bereft  of 
reason,  could  see  but  one  object,  and  that  one  hateful  to  him. 
He  bounded  to  his  feet  with  the  quickness  of  a  wildcat,  and 
was  upon  Abe  before  he  hardly  realized  Buck's  intentions. 
The  struggle  that  ensued,  spurred  on  as  it  was  by  a  mortal 
hatred  on  the  one  side  and  an  unevenly  balanced  mind  on  the 
other,  was  fierce,  but  of  short  duration.  Buck,  in  his  wild 
rush,  endeavored  to  grasp  Abe  about  the  middle,  but  failed, 
and  only  succeeded  in  securing  a  hold  on  his  shoulders,  which 
enabled  Abe  to  more  easily  throw  him.  Buck  fell  with  great 
force,  with  Abe  across  his  body.  The  small  of  his  back  struck 
a  stake,  causing  an  injury  to  the  spine  which  paralyzed  him 
from  the  waist  down,  rendering  him  totally  helpless.  Buck 
never  recovered.  Abe,  not  knowing  Buck's  helpless  condition, 
belabored  him  with  his  horse  trace,  Buck  at  intervals  bursting 
forth  in  a  laugh  that  resounded  through  the  forest.  When 
Abe  noticed  Buck's  condition  he  sat  down  to  think  how  he 
might  get  rid  of  his  victim  without  killing  him  outright.  Tie 


146  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

finally  concluded  to  take  Buck  back  to  the  place  where  he 
was  thrown  from  his  horse,  and  where  the  ground  showed  a 
struggle,  turn  the  horse  loose,  and  leave  Buck  to  be  found  by 
his  friends.  Abe  was  careful  to  cut  the  sapling  which  sprung 
the  trap  close  to  the  ground  and  to  remove  all  evidences  that 
would  tend  to  show  that  human  hands  were  responsible  for 
Buck's  condition.  The  horse  soon  made  its  way  back  to  the 
barn.  Black  Sue  saw  it  and  spread  the  alarm. 

"I  bet  dat  Abe  Oberley  knows  sumfin'  'bout  dis  hos'  an' 
'bout  dat  chile,"  said  Sue  to  herself.  Soon  a  searching  party 
was  formed,  which  included  some  of  the  Overley  Negroes,  who 
were  inspired  by  curiosity.  When  Buck's  dogs  were  turned 
loose,  they  started  for  the  swamp  in  full  cry  and  soon  had  him 
located.  Every  man  crowded  about  with  an  opinion,  all 
finally  agreeing  that  the  horse  must  have  kicked  Buck  in  the 
back  while  his  foot  was  hung  in  the  stirrup. 

When  the  Wardeman  boys  heard  of  Buck's  mishap,  Tim, 
who  had  become  a  local  minister,  concluded  he  would  answer 
a  call  from  a  town  in  a  Western  territory.  He  left  very  sud- 
denly. About  two  weeks  later  Abe  learned  that  Rex  Warde- 
man, the  one  who  knocked  his  mother  down  in  the  cabin, 
breaking  her  jawbone,  was  riding  three  times  a  week  into  the 
next  county  to  visit  a  lady  whom  it  was  rumored  he  would 
soon  marry. 

Abe  set  about  to  learn  the  truth.  He  was  informed  by  his 
friends  in  the  Wardeman  home  that  such  was  the  fact;  that 
Rex  seldom  returned  home  earlier  than  2  a.  m.,  and  that  he 
traveled  the  same  path  night  and  day.  Abe  was  also  told 
that  Rex  was  always  heavily  armed. 

After  an  inspection  of  the  path  traveled,  Abe  found,  at  a 
point  remote  from  any  road  or  habitation,  two  trees,  opposite 
each  other,  close  to  the  path,  to  which  wild  grapevines  were 
clinging.  By  pulling  one  of  these  vines  nearer  the  earth  it 
could  be  so  arranged  that  a  person  riding  horseback  would  be 
swept  off  his  mount  by  it.  Abe  selected  the  following  Wednes- 
day night  for  his  attempt,  it  being  the  dark  of  the  moon. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

EEX  rode  away  from  his  lady's  home  whistling  softly 
to  himself.  As  he  drew  nearer  and  nearer  Abe's 
trap  he  became  drowsy  and  permitted  his  horse  to 
make  its  own  way  along  the  path  unaided,  the  bridle  rein 
hanging  loose.  When  the  animal  came  upon  the  vine,  as  Abe 
had  arranged  it,  it  instinctively  lowered  its  head  and  quick- 
ened its  pace,  and  as  it  passed  under  the  vine  Rex  was  caught 
and  lifted  from  the  saddle. 

Before  he  realized  what  had  happened  Abe  was  upon  him. 
He  seized  Rex  by  the  throat  and  pinioned  him  to  the  ground. 
Then  began  a  desperate  struggle  for  the  possession  of  the 
pistol  that  Rex  carried,  and  but  for  the  strangle  hold  Abe  had 
on  Rex's  throat  the  pistol  would  have  been  used  with  deadly 
effect  upon  Abe.  As  it  was,  Rex  succeeded  in  getting  his 
hand  in  his  coat  pocket,  where  the  pistol  was  concealed,  before 
Abe  rendered  him  selpless. 

Abe  bound  Rex  and  took  him  back  into  the  marsh,  where 
he  had  prepared  for  the  vengeance  that  had  mastered  him. 
When  Rex  again  gained  consciousness  and  realized  into  whose 
hands  he  had  fallen,  his  fear  and  abject  cowardice  were 
despicable.  Abe  sat  by  quietly  waiting  for  the  sun  to  dispel 
the  darkness,  that  he  might  be  better  able  to  complete  his 
work.  Rex,  true  to  his  "cracker"  nature,  begged  and  prom- 
ised Abe  to  make  all  amends  possible. 

"Fer  God's  sake,  Mr.  Abe,  ain't  yer  got  no  heart  in  yer 
body  ? "  he  pleaded.  ' '  Yer  knows  my  pappy  has  got  a  plenty 
money.  'Deed,  sah,  he'll  pay  yer  lots — thirty,  forty,  fifty — 
only  let  me  go  home  to  my  ole  pappy!" 

While  making  these  supplications  Rex  raised  himself  upon 
his  knees  and  drew  closer  to  Abe,  who  dealt  him  a  terrible 
blow  on  the  head,  which  rendered  him  unconscious.  The  sun 
was  high  in  the  heavens  when  Rex  again  opened  his  eyes,  and 

147 


148  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

the  sight  that  revealed  itself  to  him  caused  him  to  tremble  and 
close  them  again. 

Abe,  who  had  been  watching  him,  observed  that  he  had 
regained  consciousness,  and  told  him  that  his  time  had  come ; 
that  he  had  five  minutes  to  prepare  to  meet  his  Maker. 

Rex,  cringing,  whining  and  pleading,  dragged  himself  to 
Abe's  feet,  begging  to  be  spared.  Abe  spurned  him,  refusing 
to  say  another  word. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  alloted  time  Abe  took  his  victim 
to  a  stump,  to  which,  after  stripping  him  of  all  clothing,  he 
bound  him,  and  proceeded  to  administer  the  trace  to  his  bare 
back  in  a  regular  stroke. 

Rex  pleaded,  yelled,  threatened,  cursed,  and,  finally,  made 
a  last  frantic  effort  to  break  the  thongs  that  bound  him  to 
his  post  of  torture,  exclaiming : 

1  i  I  won 't  die !     I  '11  see  my  po '  mammy ! ' ' 

This  yell  of  Rex's  seemed  to  arouse  the  half -slumbering 
demon  in  Abe. 

"Your  poor  mammy?  Curse  you!  Curse  you  for  a  cow- 
ardly hound!  Beat  my  mother  to  death.!  Beat  the  flesh  off 
the  nude  body  of  my  sister !  Curse  you !  Curse  you !  Your 
damnable  crime  is  now  being  punished ! ' '  yelled  Abe. 

As  Abe  was  delivering  himself  of  these  imprecations  his 
fury  seemed  to  redouble.  He  belabored  Rex  with  both  hands, 
until,  in  his  mad  frenzy,  he  fell  exhausted  beside  the  limp  and 
lifeless  body  of  his  victim. 

Had  one  of  Rex's  many  friends  happened  upon  the  scene 
at  this  time  Abe  would  have  become  his  easy  captive.  When 
he  recovered  he  stood  for  some  moments  seemingly  appalled 
by  the  terrible  crime  he  had  committed. 

The  lifeless  body  of  Rex  hung  to  the  post,  torn  and  bleeding. 

After  his  first  fright,  Abe  concluded  to  hang  a  piece  of  the 
horse  trace  about  the  neck  of  his  victim  and  leave  him  to  be 
found  by  his  friends  or  the  vultures,  and  then  made  his  way 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  149 

back  to  the  Overlay  place.  Upon  his  arrival  Malcolm  wanted 
to  know  where  he  had  been  and  what  he  had  been  doing. 

"  Malcolm,  suppose  I  tell  you  just  what  I  have  done,  will 
that  not  make  you  a  party  to  my  crime,  or  whatever  you  may 
call  it?"  asked  Abe.  "No,  Malcolm,  I  guess  I  had  better 
not  tell  you." 

After  a  moment  Malcolm  asked:  "Why,  Abe,  can  you  not 
trust  me?" 

' '  Oh,  that  is  not-  the  point.  I  can  trust  you,  but  I  do  not 
want  to  draw  you  into  this  affair  of  mine. ' ' 

While  they  were  talking  one  of  Black  Sue's  boys  rode  up 
to  the  gate  on  Rex's  horse  and  asked  if  they  knew  the  horse 
and  to  whom  it  belonged.  When  asked  where  it  came  from, 
the  boy  stated  that  he  found  it  in  the  back  lot  on  Nick 
Lashum's  place.  Nobody  on  that  place  seemed  to  know  to 
whom  the  horse  belonged.  Malcolm  did  not  know.  As  the 
boy  left  Malcolm  turned  to  Abe  with  the  inquiry :  * '  Abe,  who 
rode  that  horse  to  his  death  last  night?  Tell  me;  I  want 
to  know. ' ' 

"Well,"  said  Abe,  "  if  you  must  know,  Rex  Vardeman 
fell  from  it  last  night  about  five  miles  back  in  the  timber. 
When  I  left  him  this  morning  his  soul  was  in  Paradise." 

* '  Abe,  what  have  you  done  ? ' ' 

"What  I  promised  my  poor  mother  I  would  do,"  replied 
Abe  quickly. 

When  the  boy  on  Rex 's  horse  reached  the  main  road  he  soon 
found  persons  who  knew  the  animal  and  who  directed  him  to 
take  it  to  the  Wardeman  place.  The  Wardeman  home  was 
quiet,  nothing  having  been  thought  of  Rex's  non-appearance. 
But,  when  the  horse  was  brought  in,  the  fear  was  expressed 
that  he  had  been  thrown  and  lay  somewhere  in  the  timber, 
hurt  and  helpless.  The  boy  was  questioned  as  to  where  he 
found  the  horse.  He,  of  course,  knew  nothing.  A  searching 
party  was  soon  formed  and  on  its  way  to  the  timber  to  find 
Rex.  They  were  not  successful,  however,  returning  as  dark- 


150 


AS     WE     SEE    IT. 


ness  came  on.  But  the  next  morning  with  the  returning  sun 
a  party  of  searchers  rode  away  from  the  Wardeman  place. 
This  party,  spread  out  over  a  large  area  of  timber  and  soon 
came  upon  the  mangled  and  lifeless  body  of  Rex.  At  a  glance 
it  was  apparent  to  all  that  human  hands  had  brought  about 
Rex's  death.  The  opinions  as  to  who  committed  the  deed 
were  numerous  and  varied.  Si  Weedels,  who  was  ever  present 
on  occasions  of  this  kind  and  ready  with  his  advice,  was  of  the 
opinion  that  the  brothers  of  the  girl  whom  Rex  was  visiting 
were  the  parties  who  took  the  young  man's  life.  His  decision 
may  have  been  influenced  by  the  fact  that  one  of  these  boys 
had  beaten  him  in  a  horse  trade.  It  is  strange,  but  not  one 
of  the  assembled  searchers  thought  of  Abe.  All  agreed  that 
some  fiend  among  the  whites  was  responsible  for  the  killing. 

Young  Joe  Wheatley,  the  Sheriff,  who  was  present,  said 
nothing,  but  listened  to  the  story  of  each  man,  all  the  time 
firmly  convinced  that  he  knew  the  probable  murderer.  -  After 
a  coroner's  jury  had  returned  a  verdict  declaring  that  Rex's 
death  was  caused  "by  a  party  or  parties  unknown  to  the 
jury,"  the  clans  of  each  county  began  to  arm  and  to  watch 
each  other.  Buck  Lashum,  not  being  in  a  condition  physically 
to  lead  his  clan,  the  leadership  passed  to  Tom  Smaly,  who  was 
known  for  his  drunken  brutality. 

After  a  day's  hard  riding,  following  the  hounds  in  a  great 
fox  hunt,  Tom  Smaly  was  not  to  be  found  among  those  who 
gathered  at  Goose  Neck  Inn  to  commemorate  and  celebrate  the 
day's  sport.  His  absence  at  first  caused  some  comment,  but 
mirth  ran  high,  and  rum  flowed  so  freely  that  his  absence  was 
soon  forgotten.  It  was  not  until  next  morning  that  his 
brother  fully  realized  that  Tom  was  missing.  After  an  all-day 
search  the  body  of  Tom  was  found  in  the  same  condition  and 
in  the  same  place  that  Rex  Wardeman 's  was  not  so  long 
before. 

When  it  became  known  that  another  white  man  had  been 
killed  in  the  same  manner,  at  the  same  place,  the  wise  people 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  151 

began  to  shake  their  heads.  Some  were  in  favor  of  calling  on 
the  Governor  for  a  detective  to  ferret  out  the  murderers; 

others  were  opposed  to  such  a  move,  claiming  that  A 

County  could  look  after  its  own  affairs;  that  a  county  is  the 
same  as  a  State,  inasmuch  as  it  has  the  right  to  handle  all 
matters  that  arise  within  its  borders. 

While  these  fiery  arguments  as  to  county  rights  were  in 
full  swing  at  Goose  Neck  Inn,  one  of  Black  Sue's  boys,  a 
worthless  mixture  of  Black  Sue  and  Nick  Lashum,  came  for- 
ward with  the  story  that  he  saw  Abe  riding  away  from  the 
place  where  Tom  Smaly  was  found. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  next  morning  a  self-appointed  posse  of  citizens, 
good  and  true,  soon  formed  for  the  purpose  of 
finding  Abe  and  lynching  him.  Within  a  very 
short  time  after  the  mob  was  in  possession  of  this  infor- 
mation Abe  and  the  whole  Overley  plantation  were 
warned.  Messengers  were  sent  out  hurriedly  for  friends  who 
could  be  depended  on  to  aid  in  case  of  trouble.  This  mob, 
more  or  less  liquorized,  under  the  leadership  of  Si  Weedles, 
mounted  on  a  borrowed  horse,  he  never  having  been  able  to 
recover  from  the  disastrous  horse  trade  mentioned  above, 
swearing  vengeance  and  promising  great  things,  was  soon  on 
its  way  to  the  Overley  plantation.  As  they  drew  near  the 
place  a  discussion  arose  as  to  the  gate  they  should  enter. 
Some  were  for  going  through  the  big  gate,  while  others  favored 
the  back  cut. 

"Ole  Mai  Overley  is  so  d —  funny/'  said  their  leader,  in 
deciding  to  go  in  the  back  way,  ''that  he  might  git  mad  and 
shoot  somebody  when  he  see  so  many  of  us  comin '  up  his  front 
way.  It  ain't  proper  fer  no  white  man  to  git  killed  fer  no 
'nigger.'  " 

These  people  passed  through  the  barnyard  on  their  way  to 
the  veranda  of  the  great  house,  where  they  found  Malcolm 
Overley  and  a  friend  quietly  smoking.  When  they  lined  up 
in  front  of  him,  off  came  their  hats.  Overley  sat  calmly  sur- 
veying them,  waiting  for  the  leader  to  make  known  their 
business.  As  no  one  of  them  spoke,  he  demanded  in  an 
angry  voice: 

"What  the  h —  do  you  d —  meadow  hogs  want  on  my 
place?"  at  the  same  time  thrusting  his  hand  into  his  coat 
pocket,  which  movement  caused  them  much  uneasiness. 

Si  Weedles  started  up  the  steps  of  the  veranda  at  the  same 

time,  saying:  "Sah,  Mr.  Overley,  we  are  on  a " 

152 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  153 

''Stand  where  you  are/'  interrupted  Malcolm  Overley. 
' '  Who  the  h —  told  you  your  place  was  up  here  ? ' ' 

Si  moved  back  quickly  to  his  comrades,  with  whom  he  held 
a  short  consultation,  after  which  he  again  addressed  Malcolm 
Overley,  saying,  as  before:  "Sah,  Mr.  Overley,  we  is  here 
on  a  mission  of  law  and  order.  We  has  hearn  that  your 
'  nigger '  Abe  is  the  one  that  is  guilty  of  killing  po '  Tom  Smaly 
and  we  came  arter  him ;  we  wants  to  axe  him  about  hit. ' ' 

4 '  Who  the  h —  made  the  likes  of  you  sheriff  of  this  county  ? 
What  the  damnation  business  is  it  of  yours  who  killed  that 
d —  hound  ?  You  d —  meadow  hogs  dare  to  come  to  my  place 
demanding  my  boy !  You  better  get  off  this  place,  and  never 
put  foot  on  it  again,  or  I  will  be  found  shooting  the  crumbs 
off  you!" 

When  he  delivered  this  speech  he  called  to  Malcolm  to  bring 
him  his  gun.  Malcolm  appeared  at  the  door  with  a  Win- 
chester in  his  hands.  At  the  same  time  windows  suddenly 
opened  and  the  muzzles  of  guns  were  to  be  seen.  Si  became 
very  nervous.  Three  of  his  comrades  left  hurriedly.  Si 
attempted  to  explain  and  excuse  himself  and  friends,  but  was 
cut  short  by  an  order  to  leave,  and  leave  "damn  quick."  At 
that  moment  the  sound  of  clattering  horse 's  hoofs  were  heard 
on  the  road  leading  to  the  house.  Sheriff  Wheatley  and  two 
Deputy  Sheriffs  dashed  up. 

"What  is  the  matter  here?"  demanded  the  Sheriff  of  Si  and 
four  of  his  friends — all  that  were  now  left  of  the  twenty  who 
made  the  charge  from  Goose  Neck  Inn. 

"We  jes'  earned  here  to  axe  Mr.  Overley  'bout  his  'nigger7 
Abe.  We  certainly  didn't  mean  no  harm.  We  is  law'bidin' 
citizens,  we  is." 

"You  people  get  away  from  here,  and  remember  that  I  am 
Sheriff  of  this  county,  and  that  it  is  not  your  business  to 
arrest  people.  If  you  have  any  information  that  will  lead  to 
the  capture  of  the  man  or  men  who  killed  Tom  Smaly,  give  it 
to  me.  It  is  not  your  business  to  enforce  the  law.  If  I  ever 


154  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

see  or  hear  of  anyone  of  you  five  men  being  on  any  man's 
place  on  such  a  mission  as  you  are  now  engaged  in,  I  will  put 
you  among  the  breakers.  Now,  go!" 

"Yes,  sah,  Mr.  Joe,  we  is  goin',''  answered  Si  Weedles,  as 
they  hurried  back  through  the  barnyard. 

When  Si  and  his  companions  had  left  the  place  Malcolm  A. 
Overley,  Sr.,  greeted  the  Sheriff  very  cordially,  saying:  "Joe, 
my  boy,  I  am  proud  of  you.  You  know  better  than  any  man 
in  this  county  how  to  handle  those  'crackers.'  Come  up  and 
let  me  introduce  you  to  my  friend,  a  friend  of  my  College 
days  from  Nova  Scotia. ' ' 

After  some  general  conversation,  the  stranger  said: 
"Sheriff,  I  heard  Mr.  Overley  and  you  use  some  expressions 
to  those  men  which  they  seemed  to  understand,  but  which  I 
did  not.  Mr.  Overley 's  expression  was,  'shoot  the  crumbs 
off  you.'  What  in  the  world  do  you  mean  by  that?"  This 
question  brought  forth  a  peal  of  laughter  from  all  those 
present. 

"Well,"  answered  the  Sheriff,  "that  is  a  slang  phrase  that 
should  carry  an  insult  with  it.  It  means  that  the  person  so 
addressed  is  low  and  filthy.  I  am  surprised  that  a  fine  old 
gentleman  of  Mr.  Malcolm  A.  Overley 's  caliber  should  make 
use  of  such  slang.  Had  it  been  just  plain  cuss  words  I  would 
not  have  been  a  bit  surprised.  But  what  did  I  say  ? ' ' 

"Your  expression  was,  'I  will  put  you  among  the  break- 
ers.'" 

"That  expression  translated  would  read,  'I  will  put  you 
in  the  chain  gang  to  break  stone,'  "  laughed  the  Sheriff. 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  stranger;  "apt,  indeed.  I  could  but 
notice  its  effect  on  those  men.  We  do  not  have  that  class  of 
men  in  our  section." 

The  Sheriff  left,  saying :  "  I  am  very  glad  to  have  met  you. 
I  hope  you  may  learn  to  sight  a  rifle  close  enough  to  shoot  the 
crumps  off  a  'cracker.'  ' 

Two  days  later  Black  Sue's  son  was  found  hanging  by  the 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  155 

neck  to  a  young  sapling  that  had  been  bent  to  the  ground. 
He  was  dead,  having  strangled  to  death.  Pinned  to  his  breast 
was  a  card,  upon  which  the  following  words  were  written : 

"Let  this  be  a  warning  to  all  'niggers'  who  carry  tales  to 
the  white  people." 

When  the  news  of  this  young  man's  death  reached  Black 
Sue  her  grief  and  wrath  were  pitiable.  This  drunken,  worth- 
less scion,  the  most  worthless  of  all  her  illegitimate  brood,  was 
her  favorite.  Black  Sue  reached  the  conclusion  that  Abe  was 
responsible  for  her  son's  death.  She,  therefore,  swore  ven- 
geance upon  him.  She,  like  all  of  her  kind,  was  an  adept  in 
gathering  and  disseminating  scandal.  She  instructed  her 
pickaninnies  to  say  that  Abe  injured  Buck  Lashum;  that  he 
killed  Eex  Wardeman ;  that  he  killed  Tom  Smaly ;  that  he  had 
now  killed  their  brother.  This  story  soon  spread  over  the 
county.  A  demand  was  made  upon  the  Sheriff  for  Abe's 
arrest.  Sheriff  Wheatley,  however,  refused,  in  the  absence  of 
facts,  to  arrest  Abe.  Feeling  and  excitement  ran  high. 
Those  who  felt  the  burden  of  the  affairs  of  the  county  most 
heavily  met  every  day  at  Goose  Neck  Inn,  and  their  sessions 
continued  until  midnight,  when  the  bar  was  closed.  Si 
Weedels,  always  the  busiest  and  most  ragged  citizen  at  these 
sessions,  had  undergone  another  change  of  heart  with  regard 
to  Abe.  Some  of  his  friends  were  heartless  enough  to  express 
the  suspicion  that  the  sight  of  the  Winchesters  at  the  Overley 
place  were  responsible  for  this  sudden  change.  Si  was  loud 
in  his  protestations,  and  grew  louder  as  the  night  grew 
shorter.  He  now  insists  that  "no  ' nigger'  had  the  nerve  to 
kill  a  white  man  like  that.  Whoever  hearn  of  a  '  nigger '  doin ' 
sich  a  thing !  Black  Sue  and  her  pickaninnies  has  caused  all 
the  trouble  in  this  hyre  county  for  the  past  ten  years.  Them 
people  was  killed  by  some  oncivilized  critter  in  the  next 
county."  Thus  Si  talked  and  argued  with  kindred  spirits, 
while  the  weeds  grew  up  to  his  doorsill  and  the  holes  in  his 
boots  and  pants  grew  larger. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

TO  DISCUSS  the  mysterious  deaths  noted  in  the  previous 
chapter,  and  to  devise  ways  and  means  by  which 
these  mysteries  could  be  solved,  Nick  Lashum  and  his 
cronies  met  at  their  favorite  nook,  by  the  pig  sty.  Si  Weedels 
was  still  of  the  opinion  that  some  *  *  oncivilized "  white  man 
from  the  next  county  had  done  the  killing.  Jack  Smaly  was 
of  the  opinion  that  Abe  Overley  did  the  deed,  or  that  Burrell 
' '  nigger ' '  did  it.  His  cowardly  conscience  pointed  out  to  him 
the  real  source  of  the  calamities  which  had  overtaken  his 
brother  and  friends.  He  felt  within  himself  that  he  would 
surely  be  called  upon  to  answer  for  the  part  he  played  in  the 
killing  of  Abe's  mother  and  sister.  Nick  Lashum,  Sr.,  could 
see  no  reason  why  any  man  in  the  next  county  should  want 

to   kill   anybody    in   A County;    neither   could    Casper 

Lashum. 

"Si,  yer  is  suttenly  mistook.  Who's  in  thet  county  thet 
has  got  nothin'  'gin  anybody  in  this  hyre  county?  Nobody's 
bin  hurted  by  them  people  f er  mor  'n  twenty  yeirs.  Not  since 
Jeff  Snooks  took  and  killed  Ollie  Booker — and  none  of  these 
boys  'long  to  them  f  am 'lies.  No,  Sir,  yer  is  mistook.  We  is 
got  to  look  ferder'n  thet.  D— ,  ef  I  don't  tek  Black  Sue's 
gess  fer  hit.  Thet  'nigger'  Abe  done  thet  killin'.  I'se  axed 
my  Buck  mor'n  onct  who  did  thet  job  for  him,  but  he  don't 
seem  ter  understan'.  By  God!  I  would  gin  all  I'se  got  ter 
know!  Thet  boy  war  a  promisin'  boy.  He  had  his  faults, 
but  he  was  a  promisin'  boy.  Now,  look  at  him.  Ef  I  thought 
thet  thet  Abe  Overley  hurted  thet  boy,  I'l  kill  every  d —  'nig- 
ger' in  the  county;  thet  I  would." 

"What  good  would  that  do,  father?"  asked  Nick  Lashum, 
Jr.  "The  other  Negroes  did  not  do  it,  nor  are  they  respon- 
sible for  what  Abe  has  done." 


156 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  157 

"Thet  is  jes'  lek  yer.  Forever  takin'  up  fer  them  'nig- 
gers'!" shouted  Nick  Lashum,  Sr.  "D —  ef  I  knows  who 
teached  yer  them  sentiments.  D —  ef  I  did." 

"No,  you  did  not,  father.  Common  sense  taught  me," 
answered  the  son,  with  some  warmth.  "It  does  seem  to  me 
that  men  grown  would  learn  something  as  they  pass  through 
this  life.  When  those  two  women  were  killed,  did  you  feel 
that  every  white  man  in  the  county  should  be  killed?" 

"In  course  I  did  not.  Who  the  h —  ever  hearn  of  white 
men  bein'  killed  fer  'niggers'?"  answered  Nick,  Sr.  "Jes' 
sich  talk  as  thet  makes  them  'niggers'  think  they  is  got  the 
same  rights  as  me  and  you  is  got.  What  right  is  they  got  to 
have  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  good  horses  and  cattle — 
horses  thet  kin  come  down  the  road  f aster 'n  you  kin?  I  tells 
yer,  Mr.  Nicholas  Lashum,  thet  yer  pappy  don't  want  thet 
darn  talk  on  his  place.  D —  ef  I  does."  This  last  remark 
aroused  the  quarrelsome  'cracker'  blood  in  Nick,  Jr.,  who 
answered  hotly: 

' '  No,  I  suppose  not.  Your  whole  bunch  was  so  d —  ignorant 
the  day  of  the  meeting  here  that  you  would  not  let  white  men 
talk  who  had  as  much  right  to  talk  as  you  had.  Now,  what 
is  the  result?  Uncle  Casper  is  out  and  all  the  offices  are  in 
the  hands  of  the  people  opposed  to  you.  Your  friends  are 
being  killed  under  your  very  noses,  and  all  you  know  and  all 
you  can  say  and  all  you  can  do  is  kill  a  'nigger.'  D —  such 
ignorance!  I  have  been  with  people  of  brains  and  standing 
long  enough  to  learn  that  killing  'niggers'  and  burning  their 
property  is  a  mighty  sorry  way  to  control  anything.  While 
you  and  your  friends  were  bellowing  'nigger,'  these  people 
used  their  brains  and  took  the  office  of  Sheriff  away  in  one 
night.  Now,  your  friends  are  being  killed,  and  you  are  bel- 
lowing '  nigger, '  instead  of  locating  the  murderer  and  bringing 
him  to  justice.  I  do  not  wonder  that  these  people  call  you 
'meadow  hogs,'  'crackers,'  and  the  devil  knows  what  not.  To 
h —  with  your  d —  brute  ideas !  I  am  cashier  of  the  Pioneer 


158  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

Savings  Bank.  I  mingle  with  the  best  people  of  the  State. 
Must  I  be  forever  and  continually  reminded  that  I  belong  to 
a  family  of  murderers  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  thet  is  very  fine  talk,  but  who  the  h —  ever  hearn  of 
killin'  'niggers'  bein'  murder?"  asked  Nick,  Sr. 

' '  Your  d — d  ignorance  is  simply  maddening, ' '  answered  the 
son,  with  great  wrath.  "Can  you  give  a 'nigger' life?  Have 
you  got  a  right  to  take  that  which  you  can't  give?  I  don't 
care  a  d —  for  these  '  niggers, '  but  I  would  like  for  my  family 
name  to  stand  for  something  besides  brutal  assaults  and 
adulterous  connection  with  'niggers.'  If  this  thing  keeps  up 
I  shall  leave  the  State  and  go  where  the  curse  of  'cracker' 
ignorance  is  unknown ;  go  where  I  will  not  hear  at  every  turn 
that  Nick  Lashum  says  this,  and  Nick  Lashum  says  that,  all  of 
which  bespeaks  phenomenal  ignorance  and  brutality.  I  am 
tired  of  it  all." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  yer  is.  Yer  an'  Arabella  is  the  only  two 
thet  tells  ther  ole  pappy  thet  he  is  ig'rant  and  all  these 
things,"  whined  the  old  man.  "Yer  has  al'ays  been  a  good 
boy,  Nick;  but  can't  yer  overlook  them  things  thet  I  learnt 
when  I  was  a  boy?" 

"Overlook  h — !"  yelled  the  son.  "Are  you  never  going  to 
learn  anything  ?  Am  I  ever  to  be  reminded  that  my  father  is 
different  from  the  fathers  I  meet  out  in  the  world?  Your 
whole  bunch  of  d — d  ignorant  '  crackers '  is  despicable ! ' '  and 
Nick  left  with  an  oath  applicable  to  them  all. 

When  Nick,  Jr.,  left  the  crowd  began  to  melt  away.  Soon 
Jack  Smaly,  Nick,  Sr.,  Si,  and  Casper  Lashum  were  left  to 
themselves.  Casper  said:  "Nick,  what  did  I  tell  yer  when 
yer  started  thet  boy  to  school  twenty  odd  yeirs  ago?  I  tole 
yer  jes'  what  'twud  be.  You  never  hearn  my  boys  talk  lek 
thet.  Why?  'Cause  I  knows  as  much  as  they  does.  I  took 
pains  not  ter  let  them  go  no  longer  than  I  did.  Thet  is  what 
I  done." 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  159 

"Thet  is  so,  Cas;  I  rec'on'  I'se  done  wrong.  But  thet  is  a 
smart  boy,  an '  Arabella  is  a  smart  chile.  They  do.  both  say 
a  whole  lot  mor  'n  they  has  a  right  to, ' '  sighed  Nick,  Sr.  ' '  But 
what  kin  I  do  ?  They  is  learnt  now. ' ' 

"We  kin  git  thet  'nigger*  Abe  and  mek  him  tell,"  said 
Jack  Smaly. 

"I  tells  yer,  Abe  don't  know  nothin',"  said  Si;  "an',  'sides, 
he  is  gone  an'  lef  now." 

"Thet  is  so,  Si;  he  is  gone,"  said  Nick,  Sr. ;  "but  if  we 
should  kill  some  'niggers'  the  res'  would  git  skeered  and  tell 
all  they  knows. ' ' 

"Yes,  thet  is  ef  they  knows,"  said  Casper.  "But  sposen' 
they  don't  know,  what  'scuse  has  yer  got  fer  killin'  'em? 
Yer  suttenly  knows  thet  this  county  is  not  run  now  as  it  uster 
be.  Joe  Wheatley's  dun  swore  thet  he  won't  stan'  fer  no 
'  nigger '  killin '.  No,  we  'se  got  to  go  'bout  this  thing  lek  them 
'big  bugs'  does.  Hire  a  detective  and  let  him  fin'  out." 

"Better  gin  thet  job  to  Black  Sue;  she  kin  fin'  out;  I 
knows  she  kin,"  said  Nick,  Sr. 

"Well,  yer  suit  yerself,"  said  Si;  "but  I  says  make  Black 
Sue  keep  her  d —  mouth  outen  this  whole  matter.  It's  a 
white  man's  business." 

"Yer  is  right,  Si,"  said  Casper;  "no  'nigger'  kin  be  trusted 
in  this  matter." 

"Well,  yer  and  Si  do  as  yer  d —  please,"  said  Nick.  "I 
leaves  the  whole  thing  to  yuens.  But,  one  thing  I  tell  yer, 
when  thet  mortgage  on  ole  Mai's  place  comes  due,  I'll  know 
what  to  do;  yo'll  see." 

"Thet  is  so,  Nick,"  said  Casper;  "I  had  mos'  forgot  thet 
mortgage.  Yer  will  suttenly  be  a  dumb  fool  if  yer  don't  sell 
him  out.  I'll  be  right  there  to  git  the  place  when  the  sale 
comes  off." 

"No  yer  won't,  by  a  d—  sight!"  said  Nick.  "What  yer 
recon'  I'se  been  holdin'  them  papers  fer  all  these  yeirs?  To 


160  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

let  yer  come  in  and  git  what  I  wants?  Youse  a  fine  brother, 
yer  is !  Wan '  ter  rob  yer  own  flesh  and  blood  ? ' ' 

''How's  thet  robbin'  yer?"  asked  Casper,  warmly.  "Yer 
is  sich  a  d —  hog  thet  yer  wants  the  best  of  everything.  Yer 
tooked  thet  Burrell  place  from  them  'nigger'  children,  which 
o'ny  cos'  yer  one  hundred  and  forty  dollars,  court  cos's,  an' 
yer  promised  to  gin  me  eighty  acres  of  thet  Ian '  an '  yer  didn  't 
do  hit.  I  fixed  thet  deal  fer  yer,  and  yer  keeps  the  whole 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  an'  I  gits  nothin'.  Thet's  the  kin'er 
brother  yer  is.  Then  say  I  wants  ter  rob  yer !  Ter  h —  with 
thet  talk!" 

"Gas,  yer  and  Nick's  ferever  cussin'  at  each  other,"  said 
Si.  ' '  Is  yer  never  goin '  ter  get  ter  act  lek  men  when  yer  gits 
tergether?  I  wants  yer  both  to  do  better,  d —  if  I  don't." 

Si's  remark  caused  a  laugh,  accompanied  as  it  was  by  an 
attitude  of  authority. 

In  spite  of  the  suggestions  offered,  this  assemblage  broke 
up  without  reaching  a  definite  conclusion  as  to  the  killings. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

EN  THE  meantime  Abe  had  expressed  his  determination  to 
Mr.  Overley  to  quit  the  place,  as  the  "crackers"  were 
aroused  to  a  point  where  it  was  likely  they  would  fire 
the  house  and  barn  because  of  the  fact  that  Mr.  Overley  pro- 
tected him.  The  senior  Overley,  however,  would  not  listen  to 
Abe's  protests,  insisting  that  he  was  master  on  his  own  place. 
At  this  time  Abe  was  approached  by  an  Italian  with  whom  he 
had  been  very  friendly  and  who  had  worked  for  the  Lashums 
for  some  time.  He  seemed  to  understand  the  whole  situation 
and  endeavored  to  persuade  Abe  to  use  bombs  on  the  white 
people  of  the  county. 

"Abe,  I  maka  de  bomb.  I  learna  in  my  country.  I  shoota 
one  little  birda.  Da  Count  a  de  Costigni  he  beat  a  me.  I  fixa 
de  bomb  under  his  door  stepa.  He  cornea.  Buoy!  Buoy! 
Ha!  Ha!  His  heada  go  one  waya,  his  feeta  keep  on  run- 
ning. I  geta  my  revenga!  I  leava  my  country.  I  go  backa 
some  day  rich  mana.  I  liva  and  diea  good  mana.  I  makea 
you  de  bomb.  No?  Bah!  No  revenga?" 

*  *  No,  Tony, ' '  said  Abe,  "  I  do  not  want  your  bombs.  I  have 
no  quarrel  with  the  whole  county.  Five  men  killed  my 
mother.  Two  of  them  are  dead.  Three  live.  One  worse 
than  dead.  He  shall  die,  however.  That  leaves  two  more  to 
be  accounted  for.  Were  I  to  use  a  bomb  on  the  first  white 
man  that  comes  along,  simply  because  he  is  a  white  man,  I 
would  commit  a  cowardly  crime,  for  which  I  would  deserve 
the  worst  punishment.  This  is  not  a  question  of  race  with 
me.  But  it  is  a  step  back  to  medieval  days,  when  brothers 
avenged  brothers'  wrongs;  when  the  State  was  not  strong 
enough,  as  in  this  case,  to  right  such  wrongs.  The  time  is  now 
come  when  Negroes  should  kill  the  man  or  men  who  on  the 
slightest  provocation  lynch  or  take  the  lives  of  their  kinsmen. 
When  they  learn  to  do  that,  we  will  have  fewer  murders  of 

161 


162  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

this  character  to  mar  our  civilization.  With  me  your  bomb  is 
impossible. ' ' 

"You  say  civilizationa.  Thata  for  biga  mana,  not  for  poor 
mana  and  blacka  mana.  No.  Civilizationa  no  gooda." 

Two  years  later  it  was  announced  in  the  County  Bulletin 
that  Caesar  Antonio  Amato,  of  Reggio,  Italy,  had  married 
Miss  Josephine  Walsh,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest 
families  of  the  State  of  Alabama.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
Amato  "absorbed"  the  American  idea  to  the  point  where  he 
could  understand  the  meaning  of  our  civilization. 

At  this  writing  we  do  not  understand  the  American  civiliza- 
tion. 

About  this  time  Malcolm  received  a  long  letter  from 
DeVaux  and  his  Tennessee  friend.  They  were  spending  the 
summer  automobiling  through  the  far  West.  It  bore  the  post- 
mark of  a  small  town  in  Nevada.  That  portion  of  the  letter 
which  was  of  most  interest  to  us  reads  as  follows: 

Your  section  of  the  country  certainly  produces  some  queer 
characters,  to  say  the  least.  I  have  just  had  the  honor  of 
meeting  a  preacher,  an  exhorter,  a  regular  romping,  roaring, 
raging,  rambling  backwoods  parson  of  the  kind  who  attracts 
attention  by  the  use  of  his  lungs,  if  nothing  else.  This  man, 
together  with  his  wife  ( ? ) ,  whom  he  claims  to  be  a  mixed- 
breed  Indian,  but  whose  language  would  indicate  that  she 
is  a  mixed-breed  Negro,  has  charge  of  the  only  church  in  this 
whole  country.  When  we  first  called  on  him  he  was  not  quite 
steady  enough  for  an  interview;  but  when  we  saw  him  later, 
after  his  nap,  he  gave  us  his  life's  history.  I  was  surprised 
to  learn  that  he  came  from  your  county.  He  seems  to  be  very 
well  acquainted  with  Buck  Lashum.  He  says  Buck's  horse 
crippled  him.  Such  a  pity.  Have  you  a  school  of  theology 
in  your  county?  You  have  an  advantage  over  me.  You  are 
living  in  an  atmosphere  of  greatness.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Timothy 
Wardeman  are  living  evidences  of  greatness,  and  they  hail 
from  your  county !  How  is  your  friend  Abe  bearing  up  ?  I 
hope  he  has  done  nothing  rash.  Will  you  and  he  return  to 
College?  Miss  D.  was  in  California  this  summer,  so  I  am 


AS     WE    SEE     IT.  163 

informed.     You    may    know    that,    however.     With    kindest 
regards  to  Abe, 

Yours, 

DEVAUX. 

Abe  sat  silent  for  some  moments  after  the  reading  of  this 
epistle,  then  said:  " Again  have  those  young  men  done  me  a 
very  great  service;  this  time  unconsciously.  I  have  tried  in 
vain  to  locate  Tim  Wardeman.  This  letter,  with  its  informa- 
tion, comes  at  a  very  opportune  time.  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  to  go  in  search  of  him,  which  would  have  been  a  long, 
tedious  hunt.  Now  I  can  go  direct.  His  wife !  Black  Sue 's 
girl  Viney !  She  disappeared  about  the  time  Tim  did,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  it  is  she  who  is  with  him.  But  we  shall  soon 
know.  Malcolm,  when  do  you  start  for  College?" 

"When  do  I  start  for  College?"  asked  Malcolm.  "Have 
you  concluded  not  to  go?  We  should  start  next  Wednesday. 
Dad  said  last  night  that  we  were  to  finish  this  year;  that  he  is 
very  proud  of  the  showing  we  have  made.  Have  you  talked 
to  your  father  about  going?" 

"Poor  old  dad!  I  had  almost  forgotten  him.  No,  I  have 
not.  I  have  had  very  little  to  say  to  him  on  any  subject.  He 
will,  of  course,  want  me  to  finish  my  course;  but  I  do  not 
feel  that  I  should  remain  at  College  after  what  I  have  passed 
through  in  the  last  two  months.  I  shall  leave  here  for  Oberlin 
when  you  do,  however.  I  will  then  make  my  way  out  West. 
I  am  sorry  that  I  must  leave  Jack  Smaly  and  Buck  alive,  but 
I  will  return  about  Christmas." 

Abe  then  went  to  his  father,  whom  he  found  sitting  silent 
and  alone,  apparently  weighted  down  by  the  burden  of  events 
which  have  so  rapidly  succeeded  the  taking  off  of  his  loved 
ones. 

"Dad,  you  seem  worried,"  said  Abe.  "What  is  the 
trouble?" 

"Yes,  my  son,  I  is  worried,"  answered  the  father.  "I'se 
worried  'bout  yo'.  Two  munts  hab  yo'  been  home  an'  yo'  has 


AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

not  spent  two  nights  wid  yo'  ole  dad.  My  son,  my  ole  heart 
tells  me  that  all's  not  right  wid  yo'.  When  de  Great  Day  dun 
kum,  an  de  question's  axed  yo'  what  yo'  dun  wid  dem  two 
munts,  what  yo'  goin'  say?  Oh,  my  po'  boy,  what  kin  yo' 
say?" 

The  old  man's  head  dropped  to  his  breast,  his  whole  body 
quivered,  tears  ran  down  his  careworn  cheeks,  his  whole  atti- 
tude was  one  of  dejection,  of  despair.  Abe  stood  for  some 
moments  gazing  intently  at  his  father,  whose  age  and  helpless- 
ness were  apparent  to  him  now  as  never  before.  He  suddenly 
realized  what  a  blow  his  determination  to  live  for  revenge  had 
been  to  his  old  Christian  father.  His  heart  swelled  with 
remorse,  but  his  purpose  was  not  shaken  for  one  moment.  He 
knelt  before  his  father,  whose  hands  he  took  in  his  own, 
saying : 

"Dad,  why  spend  your  last  days  worrying  over  a  thing 
which  neither  of  us  can  remedy  ?  You  say  this  case  can  only 
be  settled  at  the  bar  of  God.  Dad,  I  sincerely  regret  that  any 
action  of  mine  should  cause  you  trouble,  but  my  mother's 
death  calls  for  revenge." 

"My  boy,  does  yo'  'member  what  de  good  Lawd  say  on  dat 
•  .it?  He  say  dat  'revenge  is  mine.'  Does  yo'  feel  yo'se'f 
stronger  dan  He  am?  Does  yo'  feel  dat  you  is  on  dis  eart'  to 
do  His  work  or  His  biddin'?  Oh,  my  po'  boy,  what  I  teach 
yo'  when  yo'  a  leetle  boy  at  yo'  po'  mammy's  knee?  Did  I 
teach  you  to  be  Vengeful  ?  What  has  y o '  lef '  f o '  de  Lawd  to 
do  in  dis  matter?  My  boy,  it  am  yo'  ole  dad's  wish  dat  yo' 
goes  ba'k  to  school  and  leve  dese  pussons  in  de  han's  of  de 
Lawd.  If  yo'  does  dat,  yo'  will  tek  yo'  ole  fodder's  blessin' 
wid  yo'." 

As  Abe's  father  spoke  these  words  he  laid  his  hands  upon 
his  son's  head,  with  a  mental  supplication  to  Almighty  God 
that  He  direct  Abe  anew. 

"Father,"  answered  Abe,  "I  have  come  to  you  to  say  that 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  165 

I  will  go  with  Malcolm  next  Wednesday  when  he  leaves  for 
school." 

The  old  man  closed  his  eyes  and  murmured :  ' '  Lawd,  I 
thank  Thee!" 

Abe  remained  with  his  father  listening  to  the  old  man's 
admonitions  and  advice,  and  when  he  finally  left  him  Abe 
had  promised,  by  implication  at  least,  that  he  would  do  what 
his  father  wanted  him  to  do.  He  went  immediately  to  Mal- 
colm, to  whom  he  unburdened  himself. 

"Malcolm,  for  the  first  time  in  my  whole  life,  I  have  lied 
to  my  father.  I  have  promised  him  to  do  what  I  do  not  intend 
to  do,  and  did  not  intend  to  do  at  the  time  I  promised  him. 
Oh,  I  have  deceived  him  shamefully!" 

"Abe,  what  have  you  promised?"  asked  Malcolm. 

"I  have  not  promised  anything  in  words,  but  by  inference 
I  have  promised  to  leave  Buck  Lashum,  Tim  Wardeman  and 
Jack  Smaly  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord.  I  have  led  my  father 
to  believe  that  I  am  going  to  College  with  you  and  forget  all 
about  my  promise  to  my  mother  that  I  would  avenge  her. 
God  knows  what  effect  it  will  have  upon  him  when  he  learns 
the  truth!" 

* l  Abe,  why  did  you  not  tell  him  the  truth  ? ' '  asked  Malcolm. 

"Malcolm,  I  could  not.  If  you  had  heard  that  confiding 
old  man  talk  you  would  have  done  just  as  I  did.  The  Lord 
will  forgive  me.  I  did  it  that  dad  may  sleep  in  peace,  at  least 
until  he  learns  the  truth.  I  told  him  that  I  would  go  to  Col- 
lege with  you  next  Wednesday.  That  much  is  the  truth. ' ' 

"Well,  Abe,  you  are  certainly  in  a  very  awkward  position. 
You  must  tell  my  father  before  he  makes  arrangement  for 
your  tuition." 

"Malcolm,  let  us  go  to  him  at  once.  I  want  this  thing 
settled  now." 

They  found  the  senior  Overley  dozing  on  the  veranda,  Old 
Abe  being  at  the  barn  looking  after  the  stock. 


166  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  have  come  to  talk  to  you  about  my  going 
off  to  College  with  Malcolm  next  Wednesday,"  said  Abe. 

' '  You  have,  have  you  ?  Damnation !  Do  you  think  I  want 
you  to  wake  me  up  to  talk  about  your  d —  school?  Didn't  I 
say  go?  How  long  have  you  been  on  this  place  that  you 
haven't  yet  learned  that  I  sleep  at  this  hour?  You  did  well 
last  year.  "What  the  h —  do  you  learn  at  school,  that  you 
don't  know  better  than  to  disturb  an  old  man  during  the 
hour  he  sleeps?  You,  both!  Malcolm,  I  am  displeased  that 
you  let  Abe  awaken  me." 

"Yes,  dad,  I'm  sorry,  but " 

'  *  But  ? ' '  interrupted  the  father,  now  thoroughly  awakened ; 
"what  is  the  matter?  What  have  you  young  devils  hatched 
now?" 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  want  to  tell  you  how  I  am  going  to  devote 
this  school  year.  I  hope  you  will  bear  with  me." 

Abe  then  related  all  that  had  passed  between  himself  and 
his  father ;  also  his  determination  to  find  Tim  Wardeman  and 
wreak  vengeance  on  him. 

The  senior  Overley  listened  attentively.  When  Abe  had 
finished  he  sat  silent,  with  his  eyes  closed,  apparently  lost  in 
thought.  Neither  Malcolm  nor  Abe  dared  speak. 

"So,  you  want  to  go  out  West  to  kill  somebody,  do  you? 
Well,  if  I  thought  you  killed  the  two  valuable  citizens  who 
were  found  dead  back  in  the  woods  I  would  have  you  hanged, 
that  I  would.  And  you  do  not  feel  that  you  ought  to  go  back 
to  College?  Why?" 

"I  do  not  know  at  what  moment  the  hand  of  the  law  may 
reach  me.  I  do  not  desire  to  bring  disgrace  upon  the  College 
by  being  arrested  while  there,"  answered  Abe. 

"Well,  I  never  looked  at  this  d —  business  in  that  light 
before,"  said  Mr.  Overley.  "How  are  you  going  to  live?" 

1 '  I  have  no  fear  along  those  lines, ' '  answered  Abe.  ' '  I  want 
to  get  back  here  by  Christmas.  I  think  that  Jack  Smaly 
would  like  to  meet  me  about  that  time.  I  shall  avail  myself 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  167 

of  your  kindness  as  far  as  Oberlin  College,  then  I  will  drop 
out  of  sight. ' ' 

'  *  H — ,  boy,  you  are  welcome  to  money  to  pay  your  way  out 
and  back.  I  know  that  a  good  citizen  would  not  let  you  have 
this  money,  but .  I  do  not  want  you  to  walk  that  dis- 
tance. ' ' 

"I  thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Overley,"  said  Abe;  "but  I 
cannot  accept  any  assistance  from  you.  I  know  it  is  needless 
to  ask  it,  but  you  will  look  after  my  father  ? ' ' 

"Look  arter  me?"  said  a  voice  from  the  yard.  "Whose 
been  lookin'  arter  him  dese  sixty-five  yeirs?  How's  he  goin' 
to  look  arter  me?" 

With  the  arrival  of  Old  Abe  the  conversation  turned  to  the 
approaching  departure  of  the  boys.  Abe's  determination  not 
to  attend  College  the  ensuing  year  was  not  again  mentioned 
by  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  Sr. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

HE  day  of  their  leaving  came  only  too  quickly,  and  the 
boys  were  on  their  way  to  Oberlin.  It  was  agreed 
between  them  that  upon  their  arrival  Abe  would  call 
upon  Miss  Watson,  see  Dr.  Finley,  and  leave  the  town  imme- 
diately. He  went  from  the  station  direct  to  Miss  Watson's 
home.  Their  eyes  met  in  a  long,  steadfast  gaze,  the  one  bear- 
ing the  mute  inquiry,  "What  have  you  done?"  the  other 
conveying  the  desired  information.  Miss  Watson  asked  no 
questions.  She  seemed  to  know  intuitively  that  Abe  had  kept 
his  promise  to  the  dead. 

"Abe,  will  you  finish  your  course  this  year?"  she  asked. 

"No,  Nancy;  I  am  on  my  way  out  West,"  answered  Abe. 
"I  hope  to  be  with  you  again  just  before  Christmas.  I  have 
stopped  in  Oberlin  to  talk  to  you,  also  to  pay  my  respects  to 
your  parents.  I  expect  to  visit  Dr.  Finley,  Dean  Sternly  and 
Mr.  Donewell,  after  which  I  shall  leave  the  town." 

By  good  fortune,  Abe,  after  leaving  the  Watson  home,  found 
the  three  persons  whom  he  most  desired  to  see  in  the  Doctor's 
office.  He  was  greeted  very  cordially  by  them.  The  Doctor, 
assuming  that  Abe  was  back  for  the  school  year,  immediately 
began  to  compliment  him  upon  his  determination  to  finish  his 
College  course.  Abe's  embarrassment  was  not  at  first  apparent 
to  the  Doctor,  who,  when  he  did  notice  his  confusion,  asked 
for  an  explanation.  Abe  stated  briefly  that  unforeseen  cir- 
cumstances had  arisen  that  would  not  permit  his  attendance 
at  College  this  year ;  that  he  had  stopped  in  Oberlin  to  see  his 
friends  and  say  good-bye  to  them,  and  that  he  was  going  out 
West  and  might  never  return.  Abe's  vow  to  avenge  the 
deaths  of  his  mother  and  sister  was  known  to  the  Doctor,  Dean 
Sternly  and  Mr.  Donewell,  and  they  felt  that  that  vow  was  the 
basic  cause  of  his  determination  not  to  attend  College  this 


168 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  169 

year.     Dr.  Finley  arose  from  his  seat  greatly  agitated.     He 
walked  over  to  Abe,  placing  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  saying : 

"My  son,  may  I  not  speak  to  you  in  God's  name?  Listen 
to  me,  an  old  man,  who  has  passed  the  three-score-and-ten 
mark,  and  who  firmly  believes  in  the  brotherhood  of  mankind. 
In  God's  name,  do  not  leave  this  College;  do  not  go  on  this 
errand  to  the  West ;  do  not  begin  this  wreaking  of  vengeance ; 
do  not  put  yourself  without  the  pale  of  the  law ;  do  not  do  that 
which  will  bring  the  wrath  of  God  upon  you.  Leave  this 
matter  in  His  hands.  I  know  that  your  provocation  has  been 
great.  I  know  that  you  cannot  invoke  the  aid  of  the  law.  I 
know  that  you  feel,  from  your  point  of  view,  that  revenge  is 
the  only  course  open  to  you.  But,  why  take  this  matter  in 
your  own  hands?  Why  take  your  own  life  in  your  own 
hands?  Why  leave  off  the  building  of  a  useful  life,  as  you 
seem  to  have  determined  to  do?" 

"Doctor,  my  mother's  death  will  then  have  been  avenged," 
answered  Abe. 

"Avenged!"  exclaimed  the  Doctor.  "A  false  doctrine! 
To  be  avenged  you  would  violate  the  law  of  the  land;  to  be 
avenged  you  would  take  your  own  life  in  your  hands;  to  be 
avenged  you  would  forever  put  aside  the  building  of  a  useful 
life,  put  aside  the  opportunities  that  are  open  to  you,  forever 
put  aside,  dwarf,  deaden  and  transform  into  an  agency  for 
evil  those  faculties  which  God  seldom  bestows  upon  man  in 
such  abundance.  My  son,  I  repeat,  you  will  do  all  these  things 
to  be  avenged,  and  after  you  have  been  avenged  what  have  you 
accomplished  f ' ' 

Abe  stood  looking  at  the  Doctor.  His  form  seemed  to 
heighten  and  expand.  Finally  he  answered  in  slow  and  meas- 
ured tones : 

' '  Doctor,  not  being  a  Negro,  you  cannot  understand  nor  can 
you  appreciate  my  feelings  in  this  matter.  Taking  your  last 
argument  first,  granting  that  God  has  bestowed  upon  me  in 
an  unusual  degree  faculties  that  are  susceptible  to  cultivation, 


170  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

.must  I  not  also  be  endowed  with  the  accompanying  sensibilities 
that  would  tend  to  make  up  the  mentality  of  which  you  speak  ? 
Doctor,  had  your  mother,  YOUR  MOTHER,  mark  you,  been 
treated  as  mine  was,  though  she  was  ten  times  guilty  of  what 
my  mother  was  so  wrongfully  accused;  had  your  sister  been 
lashed  upon  her  nude  body  until  death  relieved  her  sufferings, 
even  though  she  had  been  guilty  of  murder — would  you  stifle 
in  your  breast  your  desire  for  vengeance  when  you  knew  that 
the  processes  of  law  were  a  farce  and  there  was  no  such  thing 
as  justice?  With  no  other  means  of  redress  but  retaliation. 
and  no  remedy  for  the  wrong  except  the  torch,  the  knife  or 
the  club,  would  you  refuse  to  hear  the  cry  for  vengeance  from 
your  dead  mother  and  sister  ?  Doctor,  God  may  have  endowed 
me  as  abundantly  as  you  say,  but  the  one  gift  from  the  great 
Jehovah  for  which  I  am  truly  thankful  is  this  right  arm  of 
mine ! ' ' 

As  Abe  spoke  these  words  he  raised  his  arm  aloft  in  all  the 
pride  of  youth  and  conscious  strength  of  manhood.  Then, 
with  a  sudden  burst  of  passion,  he  exclaimed: 

"Doctor,  what  do  I  now  care  for  law,  life  or  liberty? 
Could  I  go  calmly  through  this  life,  trusting  to  a  force  which 
I  can  neither  see  nor  feel,  conscious  that  the  brutes  who  foully 
murdered  my  loved  ones,  my  poor  old  mother  and  my  young 
sister,  are  enjoying  liberty?  Would  I  be  a  man?  Would 
you,  under  such  circumstances,  bow  your  head,  clasp  your 
hands  and  trust  in  the  Lord?  Life  is  worth  nothing  to  me 
now.  I  go  forth  from  here  with  the  deliberate  determination 
to  take  the  lives  of  those  who  murdered  my  poor  mother." 

When  Abe  had  finished  a  silence  fell  upon  the  assemblage 
that  was  broken  by  Mr.  Donewell,  who  invited  Abe  to  walk  to 
his  home  with  him. 

* '  Mr.  Overley, ' '  said  Dr.  Donewell,  ' '  what  do  you  expect  to 
do  after  you  have  kept  your  vow  ?  I  have  invited  you  to  walk 
with  me  that  I  might  ask  you  this  question.  I  am  not  censur- 
ing you,  mark  you,  but,  as  I  place  myself  in  your  position,  I 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  171 

can  see  nothing  that  I  could  do.  My  life  would  be  a  blank. 
Have  you  considered  well  the  step  you  have  taken?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  Donewell,  I  have  considered,"  answered  Abe. 
"and  if  I  do  not  forfeit  my  life  in  this  attempt,  the  time 
allotted  me  from  the  consummation  of  my  vow  to  eternity  will 
be  spent  in  the  upbuilding  of  my  people  in  some  foreign  land, 
perhaps.  But  I  am  frank  to  say  that  I  feel  that  I  have  noth- 
ing for  which  to  live.  Why  should  I  care  to  live?  My  poor 
old  father,  now  on  the  very  brink  of  the  Great  Beyond,  is 
all  that  binds  me  to  this  earth." 

"Why,  Mr.  Oveiiey,"  asked  Mr.  Donewell,  "I  hoped  there 
might  be  a  young  lady  somewhere  who  would  influence  you  to 
resume  your  course  at  this  College?" 

"Yes,  yes,"  said  Abe,  "there  is  a  young  lady  from  whom 
I  wrung  a  promise  when  the  enormity  of  this  crime  was  upon 
her,  but  who  is  too  good,  too  pure,  to  have  her  life  linked  to 
one  whose  hands  will  be  red  with  human  blood.  When  I  next 
see  her  I  shall  bid  her  forget  me.  I  shall  give  back  her  prom- 
ise. I  shall  then  be  an  outcast,  a  homeless  wanderer,  an  out- 
law, maybe,  with  my  hand  raised  against  mankind  and  a  price 
upon  my  head.  God  alone  knows  how  it  will  end.  But,  no 
matter  how  it  ends,  no  matter  what  I  am  forced  to  do,  the 
dying  cries  of  my  poor  mother  and  my  outraged  sister  shall  be 
answered  by  the  dying  cries  of  their  brutal  murderers. 
Though  I  face  death  at  the  fiery  stake  in  this  world,  though 
I  am  sure  to  be  engulfed  in  the  fires  of  hell  in  the  next  world, 
my  mother  shall  be  avenged ! ' ' 

As  Abe  uttered  these  words  he  stopped  short,  looked  Mr. 
Donewell  full  in  the  face,  and  remarked:  "Perhaps  I  had 
better  not  go  further,  sir;  I  am  already  a  murderer." 

Mr.  Donewell  gazed  at  Abe  for  some  moments  in  silence. 
In  spite  of  his  conviction  that  Abe  was  wrong  in  his  determi- 
nation, he  could  not  but  admire  him.  The  thought  ran  through 
his  mind  that  here  is  a  splendid  life  wrecked,  one  of  God's 
rare  creations,  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  made  wretched  and 


172  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

reckless  by  the  wanton  killing  of  his  mother  and  sister — a 
killing  directly  traceable  to  lust  and  drunken  brutality.  After 
some  moments'  silence,  Mr.  Donewell  took  Abe  by  the  arm, 
resuming  their  walk. 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  feel  for  you.  My  heart  is  with  you,  but 
my  reason  tells  me  that  you  are  wrong.  I  would  to  God  that 
I  might  be  of  some  service  to  you,  that  I  could  say  or  do  some- 
thing that  might  help  you  to  the  right  course!  What  can  I 
do  to  help  you?" 

' '  Mr.  Donewell,  I  know  of  nothing  you  can  do  for  me ;  but 
away  down  in  the  State  of  Alabama  there  are  two  old  men 
who  are  dear  to  me,  who  have  made  great  sacrifices  for  me. 
I  wish  there  were  some  way  in  which  you  could  look  after 
them  and  help  them  to  spend  their  last  days  in  peace  on  the 
old  plantation.  Mr.  Donewell,  do  this,  and  you  will  surely 
be  rewarded  in  heaven.  I  will  leave  you  now,  sir." 

As  Abe  extended  his  hand  to  his  friend,  his  eyes  filled  with 
tears.  He  said  simply:  "Good-bye,  Mr.  Donewell;  I  may 
never  see  you  again." 

"Good-bye,  my  boy,"  was  all  that  Mr.  Donewell  could  say. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

HEN  left  to  himself,  Dr.  Donewell  recalled  Abe's 
words,  "see  that  they  spend  their  last  days  in 
peace  on  the  old  plantation. ' '  After  some  thought 
he  recalled  Dr.  Finley's  remarks  concerning  the  conditions 
under  which  Malcolm  and  Abe  entered  the  College.  He  deter- 
mined to  have  a  thorough  investigation  made  at  once,  which 
investigation  resulted  in  the  disclosure  that  the  mortgage  on 
the  Overley  place  was  about  to  be  foreclosed;  that  some  of 
Malcolm  A.  Overley 's  friends  were  pooling  their  money  to 
buy  the  place  in  for  him. 

Mr.  Donewell  instructed  his  solicitor  to  buy  the  place  in  at 
any  cost.  When  the  day  of  sale  came,  Nick,  being  precluded 
from  bidding,  left  that  duty  to  Casper.  The  bidding  started 
slowly,  and  it  seemed  at  first  as  if  the  probable  price  brought 
would  not  pay  the  mortgage.  Soon  a  stranger  raised  the  last 
bid  of  Casper's  one  thousand  dollars.  Casper  stood  aghast. 
He  raised  the  bid  one  hundred  dollars,  however.  The  stranger 
bid  one  thousand  dollars  more.  Casper  yelled,  "Five  hun- 
dred dollars  mor'n  thet  last  bid!"  The  stranger  calmly  bid 
one  thousand  dollars  more.  Neither  Nick  Lashum  nor  his 
cohorts  could  understand  this  move.  They  consulted  together, 
after  which,  at  the  request  of  the  auctioneer,  they  bid  one 
hundred  dollars  more. 

The  stranger,  who  was  seated  in  a  public  carry-all,  arose, 
remarking  in  a  loud  voice:  "Mr.  Auctioneer,  I  propose  to 
have  this  place,  if  it  costs  me  a  half  million.  I  bid  twenty- 
five  hundred  dollars  more ! ' ' 

"Mr.  Casper  Lashum,  will  you  let  this  grand  old  place  get 
away  from  you  for  seventeen  thousand  five  hundred  dollars? 
Do  I  hear  a  bid  of  one  hundred  dollars  more?  Seventeen 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars  for  property  which  is  worth 


173 


174  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

more  than  fifty  thousand  dollars!  Mr.  Zeph  Smaly,  do  I 
hear  one  hundred  dollars  more?  Seventeen  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars — going!  "Five  hundred  dollars  more,"  said 
Smaly.  At  this  point  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  supported  by  Old  Abe,  made  a  mute  appeal  to  Big  Joe 
Wheatley  and  Jack  Connors.  Big  Joe  Wheatley,  with  his 
clinched  hand  aloft,  pushed  himself  through  the  crowd  close 
to  the  auctioneer,  shouting:  "May  I  forever  be  damned,  if  I 
permit  this  place  to  get  away  from  my  old  friend  Overley.  I 
bid " 

Before  he  could  offer  his  bid,  the  stranger,  who  was  beside 
him,  held  his  hand  up  to  his  gaze.  In  the  palm  was  a  card, 
upon  which  was  engraved  in  red  the  words,  "Life  Brother." 
Big  Joe  Wheatley  immediately  withdrew,  making  his  way  to 
Malcolm  A.  Overley,  to  whom  he  whispered:  "He  is  one  of 
us;  'Life  Brother '  is  in  his  hand." 

All  eyes  were  now  centered  upon  the  stranger.  What  would 
he  do  next?  "I  bid  two  thousand  dollars  more,"  he  said. 
What  could  he  mean  by  such  bidding  ?  Was  he  trying  to  put 
somebody  in  a  hole?  How  did  he  silence  Big  Joe  Wheatley 
so  easily?  "A  trap,"  Si  Weedels  whispered  to  Casper 
Lashum. 

'  *  I  don 't  give  a  d — !  I  wants  thet  place,  and  I  'se  goiii '  ter 
have  hit.  I  bids  five  hundred  dollars  more,"  said  Casper. 

"Well,  you  will  have  to  pay  for  it  if  you  get  it,"  said  the 
stranger.  "You  will  give  dollar  for  dollar.  I  bid  five  thou- 
sand dollars  more." 

Casper  Lashum  again  consulted  with  his  friends.  They 
concluded  that  the  stranger  could  not  stand  another  raise  of 
one  thousand  dollars.  So,  with  a  great  flourish,  he  bid  one 
thousand  dollars  more.  The  bid  was  scarcely  made  before  the 
stranger  .cried :  "  I  bid  five  thousand  dollars  more ! ' ' 

Nick  Lashum,  Sr.,  and  his  friends,  not  being  accustomed  to 
such,  to  them,  reckless  use  of  money,  stood  aghast,  not  knowing 
what  to  do.  Nick  Lashum,  Jr.,  explained  to  his  father  that 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  175 

the  last  bid  took  the  selling  price  up  to  thirty-one  thousand 
five  hundred  dollars,  all  the  place  was  worth,  and  if  the 
stranger  refused  to  bid  again  he  (Nick)  would  have  more  than 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  cash  to  raise  over  and  above  his 
mortgage;  that  this  stranger  was  setting  a  trap  to  break  him. 
But  Nick,  Sr.,  whose  cupidity  was  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
whispered  to  Casper  to  bid  one  thousand  dollars  more. 

"Naw!"  exclaimed  Casper;  "who  the  h — 's  goin'  ter  git 
they  money  together?  'Bid  one  thousand  dollars  more,  Cas- 
per.' When  my  home's  gone  yo'll  gin  me  one  lek  you  did 
them  eighty  acres.  Yer  put  yer  own  head  in  the  trap.  Yer 
is  a  nice ' ' 

"Thirty-one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars!  Going! 
Going!"  yelled  the  auctioneer,  now  thoroughly  satisfied  with 
his  prospective  fee.  "Going — once!  Mr.  Zeph  Smaly,  do 
you  bid  one  thousand  dollars  more  ?  Mr.  Casper  Lashum,  are 
you  done.  Do  I  hear  one  hundred  dollars  more  ?  This  prop- 
erty is  worth  fifty  thousand  dollars,  if  it  is  worth  one  cent. 
Going — twice!  Thirty-one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars! 
Make  it  one  thousand  more,  Mr.  Wardeman?  Will  you  let 
this  opportunity  pass?  Are  you  all  done?  Going!  Going! 
Gone !  This  gentleman  here  gets  the  place  for  thirty-one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  dollars.  The  bargain  of  his  life.  Mr. " 

"John  K.  Evers  is  my  name,"  said  the  stranger. 

"Mr.  John  K.  Evers,  the  terms  of  this  sale,  of  course,  are 
known  to  you.  One  thousand  dollars  at  time  of  sale,  balance 
in  thirty  days." 

* '  Yes, ' '  said  Mr.  Evers ;  "  I  am  prepared  to  comply  with  the 
terms  here  and  now." 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  go  into  details  here  in  the  road,  sir, ' ' 
said  Nick  Lashum,  Jr.  * '  We  will  drive  to  the  bank,  where  we 
can  arrange  all  matters  and  where  the  papers  are  to  be 
found." 

This  was  satisfactory  to  Mr.  Evers,  who  made  the  deposit 
and  promised  to  come  to  the  bank  next  day  at  2  p.  m.  and  make 


176  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

the  final  payment.  He  then  drove  to  the  Overley  place.  He 
found  Malcolm  A.  Overley  seated  on  his  veranda,  surrounded 
by  his  friends.  As  he  drew  near  the  group,  they  asked  each 
other  who  can  he  be. 

"He  is  surely  one  of  us,"  said  Big  Joe  Wheatley.  "He 
gave  the  sign  known  only  to  the  inner  circle  amongst  us.  But 
we  will  see. ' ' 

Mr.  Evers  advanced  to  Malcolm  A.  Overley  and  extended 
hand,  saying  in  a  low  voice,  'Life  Brother/  with  the  accom- 
panying grip. 

"I  am,  indeed,  more  than  glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Evers," 
said  Malcolm  A.  Overley;  "but  you  have  put  it  out  of  my 
power  to  ever  gain  possession  of  my  home.  Oh,  my  God! 
Six  generations  of  Overleys  have  lived  on  this  place,  and  now 
we  must  go!" 

"Say  not  so,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Evers;  "I  bid  this  place  up  to 
show  those  ' crackers'  that  they  may  never  expect  to  obtain 
possession  of  any  of  our  ancestral  homes.  I  would  have  bid 
indefinitely,  as  I  have  the  means  at  my  disposal.  Now,  you, 
of  course,  understand  that  the  amount  over  and  above  the 
mortgage  goes  to  you.  I  do  not  want  your  home ;  nor  do  the 
people  whom  I  represent.  This  is  December  10th.  December 
25th,  Christmas  day,  the  real  owner  will  present  himself  and 
settle  matters  with  you.  You  will  be  satisfied.  That  is  all 
that  I  can  say  at  present.  I  am  very  glad  to  have  had  the 
honor  of  meeting  these  gentlemen,  of  whom  I  heard  so  much 
before  I  came  to  your  end  of  the  State,"  added  Mr.  Evers, 
when  introduced  to  the  gentlemen  present.  After  a  few  more 
unimportant  remarks,  he  took  his  departure.  A  few  days 
later  Mr.  Evers  sent  a  full  statement  to  Mr.  Donewell  concern- 
ing this  transaction. 

By  way  of  explanation,  it  may  be  here  mentioned  that  a)1 
the  old  aristocratic  families  in  this  State  are  oath-bound  for 
mutual  protection,  'Life  Brother '  being  their  password. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

ALCOLM  left  Abe  at  the  station,  and  went  directly 
to  Miss  Mabel  Donewell  's  home,  where  he  was  very 
warmly  greeted. 

"Malcolm,  why  did  you  not  wire  me  that  you  were  com- 
ing ? ' '  asked  Miss  Donewell.  ' '  I  would  have  had  some  friends 
here  to  welcome  you.  Where  is  your  friend,  Abe?" 

"Why  ask  for  Abe?  Where  am  If  Did  I  not  hurry  from 
the  station  to  find  the  girl  whom  I  love?  Where  would  you 
be  likely  to  find  him  ?  And  you  have  not  even  offered  me  your 
hand !  I  know  Abe 's  little  girl  has  done  better  than  that. ' ' 

"Well,  Mr.  Overley,  do  you  expect  me  to  offer  you  my 
hand?" 

"I  am  going  to  take  it,  whether  you  offer  it  or  not," 
laughed  Malcolm,  as  he  attempted  to  seize  her  hands. 

At  this  point  Mrs.  Donewell  appeared  at  the  door  and 
remarked:  "Why,  Mabel!  What  does  this  mean?" 

"It  means,  mother,  that  Mr.  Overley  is  trying  to  take  my 
hand.  He  finds  fault  with  me  for  not  offering  it  to  him." 

"Mrs.  Donewell,  I  did  think  that,  after  several  months' 
absence,  Miss  Donewell  would  at  least  shake  hands  with  me. 
I  was  endeavoring  to  instruct  her  as  to  how  she  should  con- 
duct herself  toward  the  best  of  friends,"  answered  Malcolm. 

' 1 1  suppose,  Mr.  Overley,  you  mean  to  infer  that  her  mother 
has  been  derelict  in  that  respect?"  said  Mrs.  Donewell. 

"Oh,  no;  by  no  means,"  answered  Malcolm  quickly.  "I 
would  not  presume  for  a  moment  to  even  insinuate  that  Miss 
Mabel 's  training  has  not  been  all  that  could  be  desired.  I  can 
testify  that  with  this  single  exception  her  conduct  has  always 
been  above  criticism." 

"You  have  been  very  observant,  Mr.  Overley,"  remarked 
Miss  Donewell ;  ' '  one  would  conclude  from  your  remarks  that 


177 


178  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

you  are  competent  and  willing  to  set  up  a  standard  of  deport- 
ment for  the  young  ladies  of  your  acquaintance. ' ' 

"Mrs.  Donewell,  do  you  not  think  your  daughter  a  little 
severe  in  her  comments  ?"  asked  Malcolm. 

Before  Mrs.  Donewell  could  answer  Malcolm's  query,  Mr. 
Donewell  came  into  the  room. 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you;  very  glad  that 
you  are  back  to  finish  your  course. ' ' 

"I  am  very  glad  to  be  back,"  answered  Malcolm.  "This 
old  College  is  very  dear  to  me.  We  form  ties  at  College  that 
should  never  be  severed." 

* '  Father,  what  is  the  matter  ? ' '  asked  Mrs.  Donewell.  ' '  You 
look  as  solemn  as  a  judge  who  is  about  to  pronounce  a  death 
sentence  upon  some  person  whom  he  does  not  believe  guilty." 

"Well,  I  feel  just  as  you  express  it,"  said  Mr.  Donewell. 
"I  have  just  passed  sentence  upon  a  young  man  whom  I 
admire  and  respect.  My  heart  tells  me  he  is  right  in  his 
determination  to  take  the  law  in  his  own  hands.  His  is  a 
position  calculated  to  try  the  strongest.  I  would " 

"You  have  seen  my  friends,  Abe,  Mr.  Donewell,"  inter- 
rupted Malcolm.  "What  has  he  told  you  he  means  to  do?" 

' '  He  insists  that  his  vow  must  be  kept, ' '  said  Mr.  Donewell. 
"His  only  concern  is  for  two  old  men  in  Alabama  who  seem 
to  have  made  great  sacrifices  for  him.  His  concern  is  that 
they  spend  their  last  days  quietly  on  the  old  plantation.  What 
can  he  mean  by  that  remark?  I  tried  to  persuade  him  to 
remain  at  the  College  with  us  this  year,  but  he  would  not. 
He  has  a  mission  to  perform  in  the  West,  he  says.  I  hope 
something  unforeseen  will  prevent  the  fulfillment  of  that 
mission. ' ' 

"Mr.  Donewell,  nothing  but  death  will  stop  Abe,"  said 
Malcolm.  "I  have  not  tried  to  dissuade  him  for  the  reason 
that  I  know  it  would  be  useless.  He  will  surely  keep  his  vow. ' ' 

"Mr.  Overley,  what  vow  has  your  friend  Abe  made?" 
asked  Miss  Donewell.  "Do  you  refer  to  his  vow  to  avenge 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  179 

his  mother's  death?  I  thought  those  men  were  arrested  at 
the  time.  Released!  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  the  men 
who  committed  such  a  dastardly  crime  were  released?  Then, 
I  do  not  blame  Abe.  I  would  take  the  law  in  my  own  hands, 
mother  dear,  were  you  to  meet  a  like  fate.  How  can  such 
crimes  be  overlooked  under  a  civilized  government  ?" 

"Miss  Donewell,  you  do  not  understand  the  sentiment  that 
prevails  in  the  land  of  my  birth, ' '  answered  Malcolm.  ' '  That 
sentiment  does  not  pronounce  it  a  punishable  crime  to  kill 
Negroes,  either  men,  women  or  children.  We  do  not  believe 
in  that  doctrine ;  but  it  prevails,  nevertheless.  The  unwritten 
law  is  that  no  white  man,  no  matter  how  low  and  depraved, 
shall  die  or  be  deprived  of  his  liberty  for  the  mere  killing  or 
maiming  of  a  Negro  man,  woman  or  child.  Abe  knows  this. 
He  acts  accordingly.  I  do  not  blame  him.  He  is  doing  no 
different  than  other  persons  classed  as  good  citizens  have 
done." 

"Is  it  possible  that  men  live  and  worship  God  who  commit 
such  crimes  and  see  no  harm  in  them?"  asked  Mrs.  Donewell. 

"Mother,  what  Mr.  Overley  says  is  only  too  true,"  said  Mr. 
Donewell.  "It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  influence  of  brotherly 
love  may  change  all  this  some  day." 

"Mr.  Donewell,  you  do  not  understand  the  nature  of  this 
'cracker'  blood,  if  you  think  that  anything  short  of  an  infu- 
sion of  new  blood  will  change  this  sentiment.  This  blood 
asserts  itself,  no  matter  where  you  find  it — in  the  United 
States  Senate,  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  in  the  Gov- 
ernor's chair,  in  the  pulpit,  on  the  rostrum,  on  a  Pullman 
dining  car — anywhere  this  '  cracker '  blood  predominates,  there 
you  find  a  bloodthirsty  sentiment  toward  the  Negro.  These 
people  have  had  access  to  the  Bible  and  Biblical  teachings  for 
centuries,  but  have  they  learned  the  Ten  Commandments? 
No,  and  they  never  will,  not  until  God  Almighty  injects  into 
their  veins  a  newer  and  purer  blood — a  blood  that  will  bring 
about  a  complete  change  of  natural  instincts.  We  people  of 


180  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

the  South  who  believe  that  every  man  has  a  right  to  life, 
liberty  and  happiness,  have  studied  these  people,  and  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  new  blood  injected  into  the 
'cracker'  is  all  that  will  save  the  Southland.  These  people 
are  non-progressive.  They  produce  little  and  consume  much. 
The  Negroes  are  outstripping  them  at  every  turn,  and  let  me 
say  that  herein  lies  the  trouble.  The  'cracker'  will  not  do 
himself,  and  resents  with  great  fierceness  the  progress  made  by 
his  black  neighbor.  But  where  is  this  new  blood  to  come 
from?  Some  States  have  agents  soliciting  emigrants,  con- 
tracting for  them  abroad,  in  violation  of  the  laws  of  the 
United  States.  When  they  come  here  they  look  the  'cracker' 
over,  turn  from  him  to  the  better  class  of  Negroes,  or  leave 
the  country.  They  will  have  none  of  the  '  cracker. '  And  the 
birth  rate  of  the  mulattoes  goes  on  and  on.  Where  will  it 
end?  We  have  men  in  public  life  who  have  Negro  blood  in 
their  veins.  These  men  are  fiercest  in  their  denunciation  of 
the  Negro.  In  a  few  more  generations,  in  some  sections  of  the 
South,  the  line  will  be  obliterated,  much  as  some  of  us  may 
deplore  it." 

"Mr.  Overley,  you  draw  a  gloomy  picture  of  the  future  of 
the  South,"  said  Mr.  Donewell.  "Can  you  see  no  light  of 
hope,  no  gleam  away  in  the  far  distant  future,  that  would 
indicate  an  awakening  in  this  'cracker'  element?" 

"No,  I  can  see  nothing  in  them,"  answered  Malcolm;  "they 
are  today  where  they  have  been  for  generations,  with  an 
exception  here  and  there.  Where  one  has  reached  the  United 
States  Senate,  he  stands  even  there  for  those  things  which  have 
disgraced  the  South.  In  the  Governor's  chair,  some  low-bred 
'cracker'  has  brought  disgrace  upon  the  State.  There  is 
nothing  you  can  do  with  them.  As  a  whole,  they  are  intract- 
able, unteachable  and  incapable  of  cultivation.  They  simply 
multiply  like  the  germs  of  a  contagion,  fighting  ever  at  the 
vitals  of  the  body  politic.  But  where  has  Abe  gone,  Mr. 
Donewell?" 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  181 

"Your  friend  has  gone  to  say  good-bye  to  Miss  Watson," 
answered  Mr.  Donewell,  "after  which  he  will  see  you,  then 
leave  for  the  West." 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

BE,  after  leaving  Mr.  Donewell,  went  to  Miss  Watson's 
home  and  took  his  final  leave  of  the  family,  saying 
that  he  would  return  the  week  before  Christmas.  He 
then  went  to  Malcolm's  room  to  await  his  arrival.  Malcolm 
soon  came  into  the  room,  fully  persuaded  to  try  to  show  Abe 
the  error  of  his  way.  He  found  Abe  seated  by  the  table, 
gazing  at  a  little  homespun  jacket  which  he  held,  as  the  great 
teardrops  fell  like  rain  upon  the  garment.  Malcolm  stood  for 
amoment  as  one  suddenly  awakened  from  a  dream. 

"Abe,  where  did  you  get  that  little  jumper?"  he  asked. 
"Oh,  Mammy  Rinda  made  that  for  me  years  ago!  Let  me 
see  it.  Yes,  this  is  one  of  mine.  Here  is  the  family  coat  of 
arms  she  sewed  on  the  collar.  Sh !  Poor  old  Mammy  Rinda ! 
How  I  would  love  to  see  you  now!  Abe,  do  you  remem- 


"Do  I  remember?  My  God!  Malcolm,  how  can  you 
ask " 

* '  Now,  Abe,  be  reasonable, ' '  said  Malcolm.  ' '  I  want  to  ask 
you  about  the  good  things  Mammy  Rinda  used  to  fix  for  us. 
I  remember  her  as  the  only  woman  who  nursed  me,  who  sang 
me  to  sleep,  to  whom  I  told  the  story  of  my  sufferings,  and 
who  always  comforted  me  and  soothed  my  pains.  Now  she  is 
gone,  and  by  the  hands  of  murderers !  Curses  on  them !  Abe, 
when  do  you  start  for  the  West?  I  will  go  with  you.  Those 
hellhounds  must  surely  die!"  Malcolm  forgot  for  a  moment 
the  fine  resolutions  he  had  made  to  persuade  Abe  to  stay  at 
school.  He  remembered  nothing  but  that  that  old  black 
woman,  the  mother  of  his  childhood,  had  been  foully  mur- 
dered. The  little  garment  took  him  back  to  the  days  and  acts 
of  her  kindness  and  love  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Malcolm  sat  with  his  face  in  his  hands  for  several  moments. 

182 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  183 

He  finally  said:  "Abe,  I  want  to  help  you.  God  knows  I  do. 
But  in  what  way?  How  can  I  help  you  most?  Poor  old 
Mammy  Rinda!  The  only  mother  I  ever  knew!" 

Malcolm  arose  and  walked  to  Abe,  placing  his  hand  upon 
his  shoulder,  saying:  "Abe,  you  are  my  brother.  The 
brother  of  my  childhood.  Why  did  God  Almighty  make  you 
black  and  me  white?  Make  us  to  love  and  revere  the  same 
things?  Alike  in  all  respects  but  color?  And  this  world 
holds  you  responsible  for  your  color!  Abe,"  continued  Mal- 
colm, as  they  clasped  hands,  "what  can  I.  do  now  to  help 
you?" 

"Malcolm,  you  can  best  serve  me  by  not  becoming  involved 
in  these  crimes  I  am  committing,"  answered  Abe.  "While 
I  appreciate  your  feelings  in  the  matter,  and  believe  you  are 
willing  to  avenge  my  mother,  it  is  not  right  that  you  should 
do  so.  You  should  not  stain  your  hands  with  human  blood. 
You  cannot  justify  yourself  before  man  or  God.  This  is  my 
affair  and  mine  alone.  I  have  come  to  say  good-bye  to  you, 
Malcolm.  I  am  going  to  find  Tim  Wardeman.  He  shall  not 
escape  me.  But  I  feel  that  I  am  leaving  my  brother,  if  not  in 
blood,  in  unity  of  soul.  Malcolm,  brother,  look  after  my  old 
father.  See  that  he  wants  nothing.  If  I  never  return  and  he 
should  learn  the  truth,  tell  him  what  I  have  confessed  to  you — 
that  I  lied  to  him  that  he  might  not  suffer  the  anguish  the 
knowledge  of  my  errand  would  bring  to  him.  If  I  ever 
return,  I  pray  God  that  it  will  not  break  his  heart.  Can  there 
be  a  God,  Malcolm?  Is  there  a  God  that  directs  and  shapes 
the  courses  and  destinies  of  nations  alike  ?  Why,  my  brother, 
are  we  brothers,  yet  as  far  apart  as  the  poles,  north  and  south, 
and  held  apart  because  I  am  black  and  you  are  white? 
DeVaux  and  his  friend,  ready  and  willing  with  their  money 
and  their  blood  to  defend  me,  would  not  sleep  under  the  same 
roof  that  sheltered  me,  because  they  are  white  and  I  am  black. 
This  must  be  the  God  that  Rev.  Dr.  Snell  down  home  preached 
about.  You  have  no  conception,  Malcolm — you  can  have  no 


184  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

conception — of  the  terribly  humiliating  effect  of  this  undefin- 
able  something  that  makes  me  an  object  of  scorn,  of  derision, 
something  to  be  shunned,  to  be  ever  set  apart  from  other  men, 
not  because  I  am  not  decent,  clean  and  orderly,  but  because 
God  made  me  black;  a  something  that  white  men  with  the 
Christian  love  for  their  fellow  men  in  their  hearts,  and  mil- 
lions of  money  in  their  pockets,  have  not  the  moral  courage  to 
stand  up  before  the  world  and  combat.  Though  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  is  against  this  unbrotherly  feeling,  they  are 
unwilling,  though  professed  followers  of  Christ,  to  say,  'this 
black  man  is  my  brother  and  has  a  man 's  rights. '  They  can- 
not take  a  black  man  into  their  religious  institutions,  even 
when  he  is  weak  and  exhausted  by  the  toils  and  disappoint- 
ments and  diseases  of  this  world,  and  say, '  Rest  here  in  peace, 
brother;  God  will  show  you  the  way.'  That  Christian  spirit 
of  brotherhood  is  reserved  for  all  nations  and  races  of  the 
earth  save  the  American  Negro.  In  all  civilized  communities 
the  Negro,  even  the  American  Negro,  is  welcome  and  wel- 
comed, save  in  such  communities  as  are  protected  by  the  Star 
Spangled  Banner,  the  emblem  of  the  land  of  the  free  and  the 
home  of  the  brave.  I  leave  you  now,  Malcolm ;  but  I  feel  that 
God  has  made  some  white  men  after  His  own  image.  I  feel 
that,  should  I  never  come  back,  my  good  name  will  not  suffer 
in  your  keeping.  Good-bye,  my  brother!" 

'  *  Good-bye,  old  boy, ' '  said  Malcolm,  as  their  hands  doubled 
over  each  other — and  Abe  was  gone. 

As  Malcolm  stood  listening  to  Abe's  receding  footsteps  he 
suddenly  remembered  that  Abe  had  no  money.  Taking  all 
he  had  (forty  dollars),  he  wrapped  it  in  his  handkerchief, 
well  knowing  that  Abe  would  not  accept  it  if  given  openly, 
and  called  to  Abe,  saying  that  he  wanted  him  to  take  this 
handkerchief,  as  that  was  all  he  had  to  give  him.  Abe  placed 
the  handkerchief  in  his  inside  pocket,  remarking  that  he  would 
keep  it  always. 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  185 

After  Abe's  departure,  Malcolm  soliloquized:  "Why  was 
Abe  not  made  white  the  same  as  I  am?  Why  should  a  man 
of  his  fine  intellect  and  sensibilities  be  placed  in  this  world 
where  he  is  looked  down  upon  even  by  the  most  ignorant  of 
white  men?  What,  indeed,  must  be  his  feelings  as  he  meets 
that  sentiment  at  every  turn.  But  Tim  Wardeman  will  surely 
die.  Abe  will  come  back  as  he  said  he  would  and  go  South 
with  me  and  finish  the  rest.  Poor  old  Mammy  Rinda!  My 
old  black  mother !  I  nursed  at  that  breast,  drew  my  life  from 
her  care.  Father  has  told  me  time  and  again  that  but  for 
Mammy  Rinda 's  care  I  would  not  have  lived.  Now  she  is 
dead.  Am  I  not  a  craven  that  I  do  not  avenge  her?  Is  she 
not  the  only  mother  that  I  ever  knew  ?  Beaten  to  death !  My 
God !  And  I  have  not  struck  a  blow  in  her  defense,  nor  have 
I  uttered  one  word  in  protest !  Shame !  Shame !  And  I  am 
a  white  man !  I  shall  go  back  home,  and  when  Abe  returns  he 
will  find  nothing  to  be  done.  I  shall  finish  where  he  left  off. 
I  shall  see  Mabel  and  go  tomorrow." 

With  this  determination  uppermost  in  his  mind,  Malcolm 
sought  the  sleep  which,  try  as  he  would,  was  denied  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

BE,  after  leaving  Malcolm,  went  direct  to  the  station, 
catching  the  Chicago  express.  While  thinking  over 
the  events  of  the  day  Malcolm's  gift  presented  itself 
to  his  mind.  Upon  examining  the  handkerchief  he  discovered 
the  money  which  Malcolm  had  concealed  in  it.  His  first 
impulse  was  to  return  it  to  Malcolm  when  he  arrived  in 
Chicago.  He  concluded,  after  much  thought,  however,  that 
to  send  the  money  back  to  Malcolm  would  be  an  offense  which 
would  wound  his  feelings.  He  felt  that  Malcolm  had  made  a 
sacrifice  for  him  which  he  should  appreciate.  His  mind  turned 
to  the  working  out  of  some  plan  by  which  he  could  accomplish 
his  mission  without  detection.  Abe  found  that  his  money 
amounted  to  sixty  dollars,  all  told,  and  that  he  must  find 
employment  to  procure  funds  to  pay  his  passage  to  St.  Louis. 
While  searching  about  the  docks  for  a  job,  he  fell  in  with  a 
person  who  interested  him  a  great  deal.  His  new  friend  was 
a  young  white  man,  apparently  thirty  years  of  age,  well  edu- 
cated, but  a  slave  to  drink,  who  said  his  name  was  ' '  Draper. ' ' 
He  could  not  be  induced  to  talk  further  about  himself.  He 
appeared  to  * '  take ' '  to  Abe  at  sight.  *  *  Draper ' '  worked  upon 
the  docks  when  he  felt  so  disposed,  seeming  always  to  have  a 
job  at  his  disposal.  He  procured  a  job  for  Abe.  The  second 
day  after  they  met,  while  waiting  for  a  boat,  Abe  asked  him 
why  he  did  not  let  liquor  alone,  get  himself  together  and  go 
back  to  his  home  and  friends. 

"Draper,  you  are  a  bright  man;  you  are  College  bred;  you 
come  of  good  stock;  you  have.no  excuse  in  the  world  for  living 
as  you  do.  Now,  I  am  not  trying  to  lecture  to  you ;  I  simply 
hate  to  see  you  in  this  condition.  Come,  old  man,  tell  me  why 
you  are  throwing  your  life  away?" 

"Black"   (this  is  the  name  he  gave  Abe  when  they  first 


186 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  187 

met),  "I  do  not  acknowledge  your  right  to  ask  me  such 
questions.  But  your  motive  is  a  good  one,  and  I  will  tell  you 
what  I  have  never  told  my  own  brother,  the  last  of  my  blood 
living.  You  say  that  I  come  from  good  stock;  you  are  right. 
I  come  from  the  best  in  the  State  of  Louisiana.  My  brother 
and  myself  are  the  only  survivors,  however.  I  came  through 
Oberlin  College.  My  brother  is  there  now  and  will  finish  this 
school  year,  I  think.  I  have  a  letter  from  him  in  which  he 
begs  me  to  come  to  see  him  or  let  him  know  where  he  can  see 
me.  Black,  what  would  you  do?  Send  for  the  kid  or  go 
to  him?  Do  you  think  I  would  look  good  at  College  in  these 
togs  ?  Well,  I  guess  not.  We  have  money  between  us,  plenty 
of  it.  What  do  I  care?" 

"Yes,  yes,"  said  Abe;  "but  Draper  you  have  not  told  me 
why  you  do  not  care.  What  makes  you  so  reckless  ? ' ' 

"Black,"  he  said;  "I  have  been  grossly  deceived  by  a 
woman.  I  loved  her  beyond  all  reason.  She  deceived  me; 
married  another  man,  inferior  to  me  in  all  respects,  and " 

"Say,  Draper,  does  he  keep  sober?"  laughingly  inquired 
Abe. 

"Why  do  you  laugh,  Black?"  asked  Draper. 

"I  did  not  intend  to  offend  you,  but  you  assume  that  you 
are  superior  to  somebody,"  answered  Abe.  "Look  at  your- 
self. May  not  this  young  lady  have  seen  your  weak  point  and 
been  afraid  to  trust  her  future  in  your  hands  ?  Do  you  think 
that  being  deceived  by  a  woman  is  a  sufficient  excuse  for  your 
doing  those  things  which  would  break  your  mother's  heart, 
were  she  living?  No,  Draper,  you  are  showing  a  weakness 
that  this  young  lady  may  have  discovered,  and  you  are  simply 
justifying  her.  Cut  the  booze  out,  old  man.  See  your 
brother.  Go  home  and  be  a  man. ' ' 

"Black,  you  are  certainly  taking  great  liberty  in  telling 
me  what  to  do.  I  did  not  ask  you  for  your  advice,  did  I? 
But,  I'll  think  this  thing  over." 


188  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

"Come  on,  Draper;  there  is  our  boat.  We  can  get  seven 
hours  off  her;  that  will  take  us  up  to  dark.  Then  we  can  go 
to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A." 

"Y.  M.  C.  A.?"  asked  Draper;  "what  put  that  into  your 
head?  I  have  not  been  inside  of  one  for  two  years.  Then 
they  drove  me  out.  But  we  will  go." 

That  night  Abe  and  his  friend  made  their  way  to  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  building — a  large  and  commodious  place,  given 
over  to  the  reformation  and  upbuilding  of  the  men  along  the 
docks.  The  building  was  filled  with  all  the  conveniences  need- 
ful for  such  work.  The  dormitory  was  a  model  in  itself. 
After  hearing  a  long  and  very  instructive  lecture  by  a  local 
preacher,  without  a  charge,  Abe  and  his  friend  betook  them- 
selves to  the  library.  They  had  been  seated  but  a  short  time 
when  a  gong  sounded  and  the  inmates  of  the  library  arose  and 
began  to  file  out  of  the  room.  Abe  and  his  friend  sat  still. 
Soon  the  Superintendent  came  to  them,  remarking  that  he 
observed  they  were  strangers.  He  also  remarked  that  the 
gong  had  sounded  for  bedtime.  Turning  to  Draper,  he  asked : 
"Do  you  expect  to  tarry  with  us  tonight?" 

"Yes,  that  is  what  we  came  for,"  answered  Draper. 

"Well,  er — you  might — but,  er — your  friend — he,  er " 

stammered  the  good  man. 

"He,  er— hell!  What  is  the  matter  with  my  friend?" 
asked  Draper. 

The  chargeless  minister,  who  had  just  been  discoursing  so 
eloquently  on  the  brotherhood  of  mankind,  together  with  two 
other  persons  who  were  evidently  Christian  workers,  joined  the 
group.  ' '  Well,  er — the  fact  of  the  matter  is,  our  rules  forbid 
the  sleeping  of  colored  men  here;  we  will  do  all  else  we  can 
for  them, ' '  said  the  Superintendent. 

* '  Oh,  I  see !  Dagoes,  Sheenies — any  old  nation — is  welcome 
but  the  American  Negro,"  said  Draper.  "Come,  Black,  let's 
go  back  to  Con  McNulty's.  We  can  get  a  room  over  his  booze 
joint,  but  you  cannot  get  one  in  this  Christian  institution. 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  189 

Black,  I  promise  you  not  to  touch  a  drop  tonight."  Then 
turning  to  the  minister,  he  remarked:  ''Doctor,  how  can  you 
reconcile  the  turning  out  into  the  streets  of  this  man,  at  this 
hour  of  night,  with  the  doctrine  you  labored  with  so  eloquently 
for  one  and  one-half  hours  this  evening?  The  rules  of  your 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  are  paramount  to  the  teachings  of  Christ,  it 
appears. ' ' 

Before  the  man  of  God  could  answer  Abe  and  Draper  had 
passed  out  into  the  street. 

"Black,  don't  let  a  little  thing  like  that  worry  you,"  said 
Draper;  "we  are  not  far  from  a  bed,  and  we  have  the  price. 
These  Biblebacks  are  something  awful;  they  don't  have  to 
save  the  soul  of  an  American-born  Negro,  but  they  will  take 
your  money  and  go  away  off  to  Africa  and  hunt  up  some 
heathen  who  does  not  understand  their  love  for  him  nor  their 
talk  nor  their  tracts.  Here  is  Mac's  place." 

"Mac,  we  want  two  rooms." 

"Sure!  Dannie,  me  bye!  Sixteen  and  seventeen.  Show 
the  gintlemen  up,"  said  McNulty,  without  a  moment's  hesi- 
tation. 

Several  weeks  after  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  episode,  while  on  their 
way  to  the  docks,  Abe  suddenly  asked  Draper  what  his  broth- 
er's name  was,  saying  that  he  had  some  friends  at  Oberlin 
College. 

"Black,  you  ask  too  many  questions,"  said  Draper;  "but 
I  will  tell  you.  That  kid's  name  is  Leon  DeVaux.  He  is 
the— 

"Why,  Black,  what  is  the  matter?" 

Abe  had  grasped  Draper  by  the  shoulder  and  stood  looking 
at  him  in  a  way  that  was  puzzling  to  his  new  friend. 

"Leon  DeVaux!    And  what  is  your  name?"  asked  Abe. 

* '  My  name  ?  What  the  h —  do  you  want  to  know  that  for  ? 
You  are  the  most  persistent  black  man  I  ever  saw.  Let  go, 
you  are  hurting  me.  Are  you  crazy?"  said  Draper,  all  in 
one  breath.  "Well,  I  will  tell  you.  My  name  is  Napoleon 


190  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

DeVaux.  I  am  the  ninth  DeVaux  of  that  name.  But  why  do 
you  ask?" 

Abe  was  about  to  unburden  himself,  but  wanted  one  more 
proof  that  this  friend  was  what  he  seemed  to  be. 

"One  more  question,"  said  Abe.  "What  nickname  has 
your  brother?" 

"We  called  him  Onnie  when  he  was  a  boy,  and  they  called 
me  Nips.  Now,  are  you  satisfied?"  asked  Draper. 

"Yes,  my  friend,  perfectly.  Tonight,  after  work,  I  will  tell 
you  something  that  may  interest  you.  I  will  say  now,  how- 
ever, that  I  know  your  brother.  And  a  man  is  he !  DeVaux, 
I  will  never  call  you  'Draper'  again.  This  is  my  last  day  on 
the  docks.  I  am  going  to  leave  the  city  tomorrow.  I  have 
saved  the  amount  of  money  that  I  needed,  and  more.  I  am 
going  to  the  far  West." 

' '  Black,  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that.  You  have  been  an  inspira- 
tion to  me.  Your  disinterested  friendship  has  kept  me  sober 
for  three  weeks.  I  have  never  before  come  in  contact  with 
a  black  man  like  you.  I  feel  like  a  new  man.  We  need  not 
work  today.  Let  us  talk.  I  want  to  hear  your  story. " 

"Well,"  said  Abe,  after  some  thought,  "let  us  hire  a  boat 
and  go  fishing.  This  is  my  last  day  with  you,  and  we  may  as 
well  spend  it  in  pleasure.  I  want  to  say  something  to  you 
which  I  hope  you  will  appreciate." 

Abe  and  his  friend  were  soon  out  on  the  lake  at  the  end 
of  a  deserted  pier. 

"Black,  tell  me  about  my  brother,"  said  DeVaux.  "I  am 
anxious  to  hear  about  him.  I  have  not  seen  him  for  seven 
years.  He  was  a  kid  when  I  left  home." 

"He  is  no  kid  now.  He  has  been  very  kind  to  me,"  an- 
swered Abe.  Abe  then  told  DeVaux  the  part  his  brother 
played  in  his  troubles,  of  how  his  brother  believed  in  him, 
when  he  was  accused  of  stealing  Malcolm's  pipe,  of  DeVaux 's 
sending  men  down  to  Alabama  to  investigate  the  killing  of 
his  mother  and  sister ;  of  the  fact  that  he  offered  to  go  with 
him  to  his  home  to  avenge  the  killings ;  of  how  his  letter  put 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  191 

him  on  the  track  of  Tim  Wardeman,  and  ended  by  saying 
that  there  was  nothing  in  the  world  he  would  not  do  for  him 
and  that  he  would  never  be  able  to  return  his  kindness. 

"Abe,  you  have  paid  him.  You  have  saved  his  brother 
from  a  drunkard's  grave,"  said  DeVaux.  "When  I  first  saw 
you  I  knew  that  you  were  a  different  kind  of  black  man  from 
any  that  I  ever  met.  I  liked  you  at  sight.  But  when  you 
began  to  point  out  to  me  my  worthless  life,  I  began  to  sober 
up.  I  felt  the  shame  that  only  a  Southern  man  of  my  blood 
can  feel  when  his  shortcoming  are  pointed  out  to  him  by  a 
Negro.  I  felt  at  first  that  even  this  Negro  feels  himself 
above  me.  I  know  you  better  now.  You  are  a  man,  al- 
though you  are  black.  You  are  my  friend.  I  am  proud  of 
that  fact.  You  have  awakened  the  DeVaux  blood  in  me. 
You  have  done  what  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  failed  with  their  rot  and 
tracts  to  do.  I  also  shall  leave  tomorrow.  I  go  to  Oberlin 
to  see  Onnie ;  then  I  shall  go  home,  a  new  man.  Abe,  listen ; 
this  is  on  the  word  of  a  DeVaux.  If  you  ever  need  a  friend, 
if  you  need  help  on  this  errand  of  yours,  whatever  it  may  be, 
if  you  need  money,  no  matter  what  amount,  I  will  come  or 
will  send  it.  I  care  not  to  what  part  of  the  world  I  may 
have  to  go  or  send.  That  stands  until  death. ' ' 

"DeVaux,  I  appreciate  your  offer.  But  I  cannot  draw 
any  man  into  this  affair  of  mine,"  said  Abe.  "You  certainly 
make  me  feel  proud  when  you  say  I  have  persuaded  you  to 
join  your  brother.  Tell  him  that  I  shall  always  remember 
him.  Tell  him  when  he  is  Governor  of  his  State  to  deal 
leniently  with  the  misguided  ones  of  my  race  who  appeal  to 
him.  We  had  better  go  ashore  now;  it  is  getting  dark." 

"Abe,  we  will  have  a  farewell  supper  tonight;  then  we 
part,  maybe  forever,"  said  DeVaux. 

These  two  men  parted  the  next  day,  one  bent  upon  begin- 
ning life  anew,  with  the  world  open  to  him,  notwithstanding 
his  downfall ;  the  other  to  seek  the  men  who  had  ruined  his 
life  by  murdering  his  mother. 

They  never  met  again. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

BE  left  Chicago,  going  direct  to  St.  Louis ;  he  then 
made  his  way,  as  a  laborer,  to  Nevada,  entering  the 
country  in  which  he  hoped  to  find  Tim  Wardeman. 
After  a  short  search  he  located  his  man  in  a  small  mining 
camp  where  Wardeman  was  known  by  his  loose  habits  and 
hard  preaching.  His  wife(?)  was  also  known  to  all  the 
miners  in  that  section.  Abe  set  about  to  learn  something  of 
Tim's  habits,  and  found  that  Tim  spent  much  time  fishing. 
Abe  determined  to  surprise  him  while  engaged  in  his  pastime. 
While  loitering  about  Tim's  cabin,  Abe  heard  him  call  to  his 
"wife,"  saying:  "Vinnie,  I  am  goin'  fishin'.  I  believe  them 
fish '11  bite  better 'n  they  did  yestiddy." 

"Goin'  fishin',"  cried  Vinnie,  "yer  is  always  goin' 
fishin '. "  I  never  hears  you  say  yer  is  goin '  to  chop  wood  ner 
tote  a  pail  er  water.  Yer  better  tak  dis  chile  out  in  der  sun, 
ef  yer  don 't  wat  hit  ter  die. ' ' 

1 1 1  got  no  time  to  nus  yer  kid, ' '  growled  Tim. 

"No,  in  course  yer  haint."  snapped  Vinnie,  "but  yer  had 
time  to  bring  hit  hyre.  Yer  ain't  no  man,  yer  know  dat." 

Tim  shouldered  his  poles  and  walked  away  without  further 
comment.  Soon  he  was  seated  on  the  edge  of  a  mountain 
pool,  singing  softly  to  himself : 

"Camptown  race  track  five  miles  long, 

Du  a  du  a  do, 
Camptown  ladies  sing  this  song, 

Du  a  du  a  do, 
Gwine  to  run  all  night, 
Gwine  to  run  all  day, 
I  bet  my  money  on  the  bobtail  nag, 
Some  one  take  and  bet  on  de  bay." 

Suddenly  there  was  a  movement  behind  him.    Looking  up 

192 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  193 

he  found  Abe  Overley  standing  over  him  with  a  horse  trace 
in  his  hand.  Tim  collapsed,  and  would  have  fallen  into  the 
water  had  not  Abe  caught  him  and  pulled  him  away  from  the 
bank.  When  he  recovered,  he  looked  at  Abe  with  bulging 
eyes,  and  fear  and  guilt  were  stamped  on  his  every  feature. 
Their  eyes  met.  Tim  felt  that  his  time  had  come.  His  craven 
heart  manifested  itself.  His  one  endeavor  was  to  get  away. 
He  bounded  to  his  feet  in  a  vain  attempt  to  escape,  but  was 
felled  to  the  ground  by  a  terrific  blow  on  the  top  of  the  head 
that  rendered  him  unconscious.  When  he  regained  his 
senses,  he  found  himself  stripped  of  clothing,  bound  to  a 
stump,  and  Abe  standing  over  him  with  a  horse  trace  ready 
in  his  hand  to  administer  the  terrible  blows  that  Tim  felt 
were  sure  to  come.  He  began  to  plead. 

"Mr.  Abe,  would  yer?" 

"Did  you  ever  see  this  horse  trace  before?"  asked  Abe, 
holding  the  trace  before  Tim's  eyes. 

"How  kin  I  tell,  I'se  seed  so  many?"  answered  Tim. 

"How  many  have  you  used  on  helpless  old  women?"  de- 
manded Abe. 

"Deed,  Mr.  Abe,  I  never  did  sich  a  think  in  my  whole 
life,"  was  Tim's  answer. 

"Liar!"  hissed  Abe,  at  the  same  time  bringing  the  trace 
down  on  Tim's  shoulders  with  a  force  that  split  the  skin. 
"Take  that,  and  that, — maybe  you  can  remember  an  old 
woman  whom  you  beat  to  death  with  this  very  trace.  Curse 
you,  I  am  now  going  to  treat  you  as  you  served  her.  I  am 
going  to  beat  you  to  death." 

"My  God!  Mr.  Abe,  spare  me,"  he  pleaded.  "Think  of 
my  wife  and  chile.  They  will  suttenly  starve  without  me  to 
find  for  them." 

"Your  wife  and  child?  They  will  suffer!  Did  my  poor 
old  mother  suffer?  Did  my  sister  suffer  when  ypu  brutes 
were  tearing  her  garments  from  her  back?"  thundered  Abe. 


194  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

''Take  that,  you  cursed  brute,  and  that,  and  that.  Yell, 
you  dog.  Did  my  mother's  cries  stop  you?  Yell,  curse  you. 
Your  cries  are  what  I  have  come  to  hear.  Ha!  ha!  Yell! 
Yell!  Damn  you,  yell!" 

Abe  stood  over  Tim  and  belabored  him  with  the  trace,  first 
v;ith  an  even  stroke  that  was  cruel  and  diabolical  in  its 
sameness  of  contact  with  Tim's  body,  each  stroke  cutting 
deeper  and  deeper  into  the  flesh.  Abe's  temper  arose  with 
Tim's  cries.  He  soon  began  to  wield  the  trace  with  both 
hands,  regardless  of  where  the  blows  fell,  until  he  stopped 
from  exhaustion,  dropping  down  beside  his  victim,  who  was 
unconscious. 

Abe  waited  for  Tim  to  recover,  thinking  then  to  finish  his 
work.  It  was  nightfall  before  Tim  recovered,  although  Abe 
had  repeatedly  deluged  him  with  water. 

Tim's  first  cry  was,  " Spare  me,  Mr.  Abe!  Spare  me  fer 
my  ole  father ! ' ' 

''Spare  you  for  your  old  father!"  yelled  Abe.  Did  you 
spare  my  sister  for  her  old  father?" 

"Mr.  Abe,  my  po'  ole  mother,  she "  With  a  cry  that 

was  beastly  in  its  fierceness,  Abe  sprung  upon  Tim,  dealing 
him  a  shower  of  blows  that  soon  rendered  him  lifeless.  Tim, 
as  the  life  left  his  body,  gave  vent  to  one  cry  which  was 
heard  by  two  miners  who,  together  with  Vinnie,  were  in 
search  of  Tim.  They  immediately  returned  to  their  cabins, 
the  miners  leaving  Vinnie  in  great  haste. 

When  Abe  discovered  that  Tim  was  dead,  he  cut  a  piece  of 
the  trace  and  hung  it  about  his  neck,  after  which  he  made  his 
way  to  the  cabin  where  he  found  Vinnie  cowering  in  great 
fear,  the  cry  which  she  heard  having  completely  unnerved 
her.  When  Abe  strode  into  the  room,  she  instinctively  knew 
what  had  happened,  but  when  she  saw  the  blood-stained 
horse  trace  in  Abe's  hand  her  terror  rendered  her  helpless. 
Abe  stood  in  the  gloom  of  the  poorly  lighted  room,  gazing 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  195 

intently  at  her.  Vinnie  was  held  transfixed  by  his  gaze, 
her  eyes  bulging,  her  tongue  refusing  to  move.  At  last  she 
whispered  in  a  voice,  uncertain  and  weak,  * '  Abe  Overley  ? ' ' 

"Yes/'  said  Abe,  "I  have  come  to  tell  you  not  to  move  out 
of  this  cabin,  not  to  let  any  person  in,  nor  to  tell  any  person 
on  earth  that  you  ever  saw  me  in  this  country.  If  you  do, 
the  voice  that  you  heard  on  the  hill  an  hour  ago  will  call  you 
to  that  door.  Do  you  understand? 

"Yes,  Abe,  I  does,  an'  will  do  jus'  as  yer  says,"  was  her 
trembling  reply.  "But  Abe,  yer  is  goin'  'way.  Don't  leave 
me  here.  We  was  chillen  togedder,  yer  tooked  me  ter  Sun- 
day school  many  a  time ;  tek  me  back  ter  the  ole  place.  Abe, 
I  '11  be  yer  wife.  I  swears  ter  yer,  Abe,  I  never  had  a  '  nigger ' 
man  in  all  my  life.  Ise  always  been  a  good  woman.  I " 

"Been  a  good  woman?"  was  Abe's  contemptuous  reply. 
"What  do  you  call  that?"  pointing  to  the  child.  "Be  my 
wife!  Move  out  of  this  cabin  before  twelve  o'clock  tomor- 
row night  and  you  will  join  Tim  Wardeman  in  hell."  With 
this  remark,  Abe  left  Vinnie,  as  he  had  a  distance  of  ten 
miles  to  walk  to  catch  the  Overland  express  to  Utah  City. 
Abe  reached  that  city  in  safety.  He  then  went  to  San 
Francisco,  from  which  city  he  shipped  on  a  coastwise 
steamer  plying  between  San  Francisco  and  Vancouver. 
From  Vancouver  Abe  made  his  way  to  Windsor,  Canada, 
from  which  point  he  wrote  Malcolm,  asking  whether  it  was 
advisable  for  him  to  come  to  Oberlin.  Malcolm  wrote  him 
that  he  might  come  in  perfect  safety,  and  Abe  left  Windsor, 
arriving  in  Oberlin  ten  days  before  Christmas. 

When  he  left  Vinnie,  she  sat  for  a  long  time  trying  to 
think  what  was  best  to  do.  Suddenly  she  thought  of  a  miner 
by  the  name  of  Hutchins  who  had  been  very  friendly  to  her 
in  Tim's  absence.  She  arose  and  looked  out  of  the  door, 
remarking  that  surely  it  was  after  twelve  o  'clock.  In  reality 
it,  was  little  past  sunrise.  Vinnie  determined,  however,  to 


196  AS    WE     SEE     IT. 

make  her  way  to  Hutchins'  cabin,  the  location  of  which  she 
knew  very  well. 

"Hutch,  I'se  come  ter  ax  yer  what  I  am  ter  do.  Tim  ain't 
come  back,  an'  me  an'  Ben  an'  Jim  Waters  her'n  sick  a  yell 
when  we  was  lookin'  fer  him  thet  we  was  feared  to  go  any 
furder." 

"Well,  Vinnie,  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  answered 
Hutchins,  ' '  where  did  this  yell  come  from  ? ' ' 

"Over  by  the  pool  in  Devil's  Holler,"  said  Vinnie. 

"Vinnie,  you  stay  here;  I  will  take  Jim  and  Ben  and  see  if 
I  can  find  the  parson.  Was  he  drunk  or  sober  when  he  left 
home?" 

"He  was  sober.  He  hain't  been  drunk  now  for  mor'n  a 
week.  Hutch,  I'll  stay  right  here  'till  yer  comes  back  and 
longer,  too,  ef  yer  says  so." 

After  several  hours '  hunt,  this  trio  of  Tim 's  members  found 
their  parson  bound  to  a  stump,  dead ;  his  body  covered  with 
cuts  and  bruises  and  a  small  piece  of  horse  trace  on  a 
string  tied  about  his  neck.  Hutchins  hastened  back  to 
Vinnie  to  break  the  sorrowful  news,  while  Jim  and  Ben  went 
in  search  of  a  team  to  convey  the  body  to  the  parsonage. 

"Vinnie,"  said  Hutchins  as  he  entered  the  cabin  in  great 
haste,  "you  are  free.  The  parson  is  dead.  We  found  his 
body.  Now,  ah,  what  did  you  say  when  I  left,  about  staying 
here?" 

"I  said  I  would  stay  here  if  yer  said  so,"  answered  Vinnie. 

"Yes,  but  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  that  child?  That 
is  the  parson's  child;  I  don't  want  it." 

"No  it  ain't  his'n,  its  your'n,"  answered  Vinnie. 

"Mine?  No,  it  is  not  mine.  You  cannot  put  that  on  me," 
said  Hutchins. 

"Well  it's  as  much  your'n  as  its  his'n,  yer  knows  thet, 
don't  yer?" 
Hutchins  agreed  to  take  Vinnie  to  himself.  Three  years  later 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  197 

he  struck  a  very  rich  vein  of  ore  and  left  the  mining  camp, 
taking  his  family  of  three  children  and  his  half-breed  Indian 
wife  with  him.  It  is  not  known  whether  Vinnie  ever  saw 
her  mother  and  brothers  again.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  their 
new  life  and  new  surroundings  will  be  an  inspiration  to  them. 
Parson  Tim  was  taken  to  the  parsonage  by  his  members  and 
prepared  for  burial.  In  the  absence  of  either  undertaker  or 
preacher,  the  preparation  and  burial  were  not  of  long  dura- 
tion. Tim  died  as  he  had  lived — a  miserable  wretch. 


U 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

'PON  Abe's  arrival  in  Oberlin  he  proceeded  at  once  to 
Miss  Watson's  home.  After  a  short  wait  Miss 
Watson  came  into  the  room,  greeting  him  with  a 
smile,  saying: 

"So  you  have  arrived?  How  long  have  you  been  in  town? 
I  have  been . ' ' 

"I  have  been  in  town  just  thirteen  minutes,"  said  Abe,  so 
solemnly  that  Miss  Watson  gazed  at  him  in  wonderment.  "I 
came  to  you  direct  from  the  station.  There  is  something  I 
want  to  say  to  you  and  then  I  shall  leave  Oberlin  immedi- 
ately—  without  seeing  another  person.  Nancy,  I  have 
been  thinking  of  your  promise,  that  you  would  some  day  be 
my  wife.  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  I  should  not 
hold  you  to  that  promise,  and  that  I  should  not  expect  you  to 
marry  me  after  I  have  steeped  my  hands  in  human  blood. 
Nancy,  I  give — I  release — I  insist  that  you  cast  me  off,  for 
your  own  good.  You  should  not  marry  me,  in  simple  justice 
to  yourself.  You  would  always  think  of  me  as  a  murderer. 
Our  children  would  have  a  murderer  for  a  father.  As  you 
pressed  your  child  to  your  breast  you  would  be  oppressed 
with  the  feeling  that  its  father  is  a  murderer.  I  cannot  bring 
you  to  this.  God  alone  knows  where  or  how  my  life  will  end. 
I  therefore  do  not  feel  that  I  am  showing  my  love  for  you  by 
dragging  you  into  the  mire  with  me. ' ' 

"Abe,  listen  to  me,"  said  Miss  Watson,  earnestly.  "I 
understand  and  appreciate  all  that  you  have  said.  I  thought 
of  those  things  before  I  gave  you  my  promise.  My  father  has 
since  spoken  to  be  along  the  same  lines,  but  I  see  no  reason 
why  I  should  change  toward  you.  I  will  keep  my  promise ! ' ' 

"Nancy,  your  confidence  in  me  gives  me  strength  and  I 


198 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  199 

love  you  more  for  it,"  said  Abe,  implanting  a  fervent  kiss 
upon  her  forehead. 

"Abe,  what  do  you  propose  to  do  now?"  asked  Miss 
Watson. 

'  *  I  am  going  home  to  settle  accounts  with  Jack  Smaly  and 
Buck  Lashum, ' '  answered  Abe. 

"Abe,  when  all  this  is  ended,  what  will  you  do  the  rest 
of  your  life  ? ' '  inquired  Miss  Watson. 

"I  do  not  know,  Nancy.  I  shall  do  something  that  will 
gain  us  a  livelihood,"  was  Abe's  reply. 

"When  are  you  going  home?  When  do  you  start?"  was 
Miss  Watson's  next  query. 

"I  will  leave  here  tomorrow  at  midnight.  I  want  to  join 
Jack  Smaly  in  his  Christmas  festivities."  answered  Abe. 
"But  before  leaving  I  want  to  see  Mr.  Donewell.  I  will 
leave  you  now.  May  I  return  later  ?" 

"I  will  inform  you  when  you  return  whether  or  not  you 
may  remain, ' '  laughed  Miss  Watson. 

Abe  went  immediately  to  Malcom's  room,  where  he  found 
the  latter  hard  at  work. 

"Hello,  Malcolm !  How  are  you?  Are  you  still  in  the  lead 
in  your  classes?  You  look  well.  Hard  study  and  good  com- 
pany seem  to  agree  with  you.  Why,  what  is  that  you  are 
reading?  For  what  are  those  clothes  being  aired?  I  never 
saw  those  full  dress  clothes  before.  What's  coming  off? 
Going  to  a  ball?  Don't  let  my  coming  stop  you.  I  want  to 
see " 

"Abe  Overley!"  interrupted  Malcolm.  "I  have  been 
looking  for  you  for  several  days.  You  are  hurting  my  hand. 
How  can  I  answer  all  those  questions?  I  am  not  going  to 
a  ball.  I  am  going  to  be  married." 

"Be  what!"  exclaimed  Abe.  "Be  married?  Will  your 
father  be  present?  When  will  the  event  take  place?  To- 
night! Want  me  to  stand  with  you?  Malcolm,  are  you 
crazy?  That  would  never  do.  Tell  me  about  it." 


200  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

Malcolm  told  Abe  that  he  and  Miss  Mabel  Donewell  were 
to  be  quietly  married  that  evening  and  were  to  start  imme- 
diately for  Cleveland  and  New  York,  leaving  New  York  in 
time  to  reach  home  Christmas  day.  Abe  was  also  informed 
by  Malcolm  that  he  had  not  consulted  his  father, — that  the 
whole  thing  was  intended  to  surprise  him. 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  it  will  surprise  him,"  said  Abe. 
"You  have  my  word  for  it  that  what  he  will  say  will  also 
surprise  your  bride." 

"Be  that  as  it  may,  I  want  you  to  stand  with  me, — to  give 
me  away, ' '  laughed  Malcolm. 

"I  have  no  clothes,"  said  Abe,  "nor  do  I  think  it  proper 
for  me  to  join  the  company  in  which  I  would  find  myself 
should  I  accede  to  your  request." 

"I  have  had  several  full  dress  suits  brought  here  for  you 
to  select  one  from,"  said  Malcolm.  "It  is  out  of  the  question 
for  you  not  to  be  present  at  my  marriage.  You  are  my  only 
friend  at  this  College.  Would  you  desert  me  at  this  time  ? ' ' 

"No,  Malcolm,  of  course  not.  I  will  wear  those  clothes 
and  try  to  look  happy  for  your  sake,"  said  Abe.  "But, 
Malcolm,  this  is  very  sudden,  is  it  not  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  it  is  sudden,"  answered  Malcolm. 

DeVaux  soon  came  into  the  room  in  company  with  his 
friend  from  Tennessee;  they,  together  with  Rattles  and 
Forbes,  having  promised  to  stand  by  Malcolm,  and  make  all 
the  trouble  possible  for  him.  They  had  bribed  the  Negro 
coachman  to  drive  them  out  toward  Lake  Erie,  to  within  a 
short  distance  of  a  road  house  kept  by  Joe  Hilton,  where  he 
would  be  met  by  those  young  men,  who  would  stop  the 
carriage,  relieve  them  of  their  baggage  and  valuables,  detach 
the  horses,  and  leave  the  bride  and  groom  to  find  their  way, 
as  best  they  could,  to  the  road  house.  Abe  learned  of  the 
plot  and  determined  to  frustrate  their  plans.  The  driver  was 
again  bribed,  this  time  by  Abe,  to  let  him  (Abe)  drive  in  his 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  201 

stead.  After  the  ceremony  and  while  the  couple  held  an 
impromptu  reception,  Abe  slipped  out  of  the  house,  donned 
the  driver's  livery,  and  took  his  seat  upon  the  box.  DeVaux 
came  out  and  asked  the  driver  if  everything  was  all  right, 
Abe  said:  "Yes,  sah,"  then  added:  "Boss,  can't  yo'  gin  de 
ole  man  another  ten;  I'se  lierble  to  git  fired  fo'  dis." 

"Here's  the  money,  old  man;  now  keep  your  head  and 
drive  fast. ' ' 

"I'll  sho'  drive  fas',  sah,"  said  the  driver,  with  a  broad 
grin. 

DeVaux  did  not  recognize  Abe  in  the  darkness.  Soon 
Malcolm  and  his  bride  came  out  followed  by  the  throng  of 
mischief  makers.  They  put  the  bridal  couple  in  their  car- 
riage, remarking  to  the  driver  that  he  had  just  seven  minutes 
to  catch  the  midnight  express. 

"I'll  git  thar,  sah,"  said  Abe. 

DeVaux  and  his  friends  got  into  their  carriage  motioning 
Abe  to  proceed,  the  whole  party  moving  off  at  a  terrific  rate. 
At  the  second  corner  Abe  turned  toward  the  station.  The 
occupants  of  the  other  carriages  noticed  this  move.  Then 
began  a  race  to  the  station  that  was  fast  and  furious,  but  of 
short  duration.  Abe  dashed  up  to  the  platform  just  at  the 
express  was  pulling  in.  He  jumped  off  the  box  and  opened 
tlje  door,  saying : 

"Quick,  Malcolm,  run  for  the  train."  Noting  Malcolm's 
hesitation,  for  he  did  not  recognize  Abe  in  his  livery,  Abe 
grasped  him  by  the  arm  and  pulled  him  out  of  the  carriage. 

' '  Run  for  the  train,  I  tell  you ;  they  are  coming. ' ' 

Malcolm  did  not  need  a  second  warning,  but  hurried  aboard. 
Abe  grasped  the  baggage  and  was  soon  on  the  train.  They 
were  not  seated,  however,  before  Malcolm's  friends  were 
also  in  the  coach.  They  started  for  the  supposed  coachman, 
but  recognized  Abe.  The  trick  was  apparent  and  the  joke 
was  on  them.  Abe  relieved  himself  of  his  livery,  pass- 


202  AS    WE     SEE    IT. 

ing  it  out  to  the  Negro  coachman,  forgetting  at  the  same 
time  that  he  had  placed  DeVaux  ?s  ten-dollar  bill  in  the 
pocket  of  the  coat,  where  it  was  found  by  the  Negro  driver. 
DeVaux  extended  his  hand  to  Abe,  saying:  ''Abe,  in  con- 
sideration of  what  you  did  for  my  brother  in  Chicago,  I  for- 
give you  this  trick. ' ' 

Abe  laughingly  replied  that  he  appreciated  his  goodness 
of  heart  and  as  an  evidence  of  that  good  will  DeVaux  might 
call  on  Miss  Watson  and  explain  Abe's  sudden  departure. 
Soon  the  train  was  on  its  way  to  Cleveland. 

"Abe,  tell  me  about  this  escapade.  What  had  those  fel- 
lows planned  to  do?"  asked  Malcolm. 

"Mr.  Overley,  do  tell  us.  From  their  disappointed  looks 
I  know  they  had  planned  something  that  would  have  an- 
noyed us  very  much,"  said  Mrs.  Overley. 

"Yes,"  said  Abe,  they  had  planned  to  delay  your  depart- 
ure. You  were  to  be  driven  out  on  the  road  toward  Lake 
Erie,  held  up  by  highwaymen,  robbed  of  bag  and  baggage, 
the  horses  detached  from  your  carriage,  and  you  were  to  be 
left  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  storm. ' ' 

"I  would  not  have  cared,  would  you,  Malcolm?"  asked 
Mrs.  Overley,  as  she  nestled  close  to  him. 

"Cared!  Of  course  I  would.  Suppose  you  had  become 
chilled  and  caught  cold?  I  would  never  have  forgiven  those 
fellows,"  said  Malcolm.  "Abe,  how  did  you  manage  to  frus- 
trate them?" 

Abe  then  related  his  connection  with  the  affair,  also  stat- 
ing that  DeVaux  had  given  him  a  ten-dollar  bill  which  he 
put  in  the  pocket  of  the  coachman's  coat  and  forgot  it  when 
the  coat  was  returned. 

"Abe,  where  are  you  going  now?"  suddenly  asked 
Malcolm. 

"Why,  Malcolm,  do  you  think  you  can  get  along  without 
my  care?"  laughed  Abe. 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  203 

' 'I  will  be  glad  if  you  will  stay  with  us,"  said  Malcolm, 
"but  as  you  have  said  nothing  of  your  intentions,  I,  of 
course,  do  not  know  what  to  expect. " 

"Malcolm,  I  am  going  home.  I  want  to  arrive  at  night.  I 
will  have  ten  miles  to  walk  across  the  country.  My  plans 
must  all  be  arranged  before  Christmas  day.  I  will  have  but 
two  days  in  which  to  perfect  them.  So  you  may  expect  me 
to  leave  you  in  Cleveland, ' '  said  Abe. 

When  the  train  bearing  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Malcolm  A.  Overley, 
Jr.,  reached  Cleveland,  Abe  took  his  leave  of  them  and  they 
betook  themselves  to  a  hotel. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

ALCOLM  made  known  to  Mr.  Donewell  his  love  for 
the  latter 's  daughter,  Mabel;  his  desire  to  marry 
her  and  take  her  to  his  home  to  spend  the  Christmas 
holidays  with  his  father.  Mr.  Donewell  gave  his  consent, 
seeing  therein  an  opportunity  to  release  the  Overley  estate 
without  seeming  to  be  doing  an  act  of  charity.  When  it 
became  known  at  the  College  that  Malcolm  and  Miss  Mabel 
were  to  be  married  the  presents  and  congratulations  were 
numerous.  Mr.  Donewell  concluded  to  make  up  a  large 
party  and  visit  the  bride  and  groom  on  the  Overley  planta- 
tion. Dean  Stearnly,  Professors  Smirchum  and  Narrows, 
together  with  several  others  agreed  to  join  the  party.  It 
was  not  convenient  for  Dr.  Finley  to  leave  the  College  at 
this  time. 

Dean  Stearnly  was  a  native-born  Southern  man,  with  all 
the  peculiarities  of  the  upper-class  Southern  people;  open, 
honest,  frank,  having  a  thorough  knowledge  of  Southern 
conditions,  gleaned  by  personal  observations  and  early  en- 
vironment. Professors  Smirchum  and  Narrows  had  made  a 
study  of  Southern  life  from  books,  newspapers  and  magazine 
articles.  The  primary  object  of  this  trip  was  to  study  condi- 
tions in  the  South.  Mr.  Donewell's  party  proceeded  to 
Mobile,  Alabama,  direct,  where  it  was  arranged  they  would 
be  joined  by  Malcolm  and  his  bride. 

The  arrival  of  such  a  distinguished  party  of  Northern  vis- 
itors created  quite  a  little  excitement  among  the  hospitable 
Southerners,  and  they  vied  with  each  other  in  showing  cour- 
tesies to  Mr.  Donew^ell's  party.  Mr.  Donewell  himself  had 
traveled  extensively  throughout  the  South,  and  his  large 
business  interests  made  him  well  known  to  many  of  Mobile 's 
leading  citizens  and  merchants.  The  second  night  of  their 

204 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  205 

stay  in  Mobile  was  enlivened  by  a  banquet  given  in  their 
honor,  at  which  Southern  wit  and  impulsiveness  were  pitted 
against  Northern  brains  and  caution. 

Among  the  Southerners  was  a  former  United  States 
Senator  who  was  "disingenuous"  enough  to  assume  that 
he,  too,  like  other  United  States  Senators,  could  annex  the 
public  domain  to  his  private  belongings  while  bellowing 
"wolf!"  on  the  floor  of  the  United  States  Senate.  This  dis- 
tinguished Senator's  doctrine  as  to  the  ultimate  results  of 
the  education  of  the  American  Negro  is  sound,  for  he  pre- 
dicts what  will  surely  happen  as  a  result  of  the  education 
of  the  Negro — his  ascendency  over  the  "cracker." 

In  this  assemblage  was  a  Governor,  of  questionable  lineage, 
who  was  notorious  as  the  apostle  of  the  doctrine  of  arson  for 
Negro  schools,  colleges  and  churches,  and  no  State  appro- 
priation for  Negro  education.  The  good  people  of  his  State, 
however,  appear  later  to  have  swept  him  and  his  doctrine 
into  oblivion.  We  also  find  around  the  banquet  table  South- 
ern men  of  wealth,  culture  and  influence,  whose  ideas  are 
always  sound  on  the  policies  of  State  and  Government.  The 
speeches  that  brought  out  the  sentiments  of  the  banqueters 
were  made  by  Dean  Stearnly,  who  made  the  final  speech, 
Professors  Smirchum  and  Narrows,  the  former  Senator  and 
the  Governor  just  mentioned.  John  K.  Evers  presided  as 
toastmaster. 

In  response  to  the  toast,  "Education  in  the  South,"  the 
former  Senator  said,  as  he  slowly  arose  to  his  feet  : 

"Mr.  Toastmaster  and  Gentlemen:  I  guess  you  all  know 
who  I  am,  and  knowing  me,  you  know  my  sentiments  on  this 
troublesome  question.  We  need  education  in  our  Southland ; 
I  mean  education  in  its  broad  sense,  and  I  mean  education 
for  the  white  man.  Gentlemen,  you  cannot  discuss  this 
question  and  leave  the  'nigger'  out."  This  last  remark  was 
brought  forth  by  murmurs  of  disapproval  when  the  drift  of 


206  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

the  Senator's  talk  was  noted.  "Up  in  my  State  there  is  an 
agitation  now  on  foot  for  compulsory  education.  They  don't 
seem  to  understand  what  that  means.  It  means  that  'nig- 
gers' must  be  educated,  the  same  as  white  men.  It  means 
that  in  a  few  more  years  'niggers'  will  be  able  to  qualify  to 
vote  the  same  as  white  men.  Do  you  want  that?"  Cries  of 
"Yes,"  and  cries  of  "No,  "were  heard  from  different  parts 
of  the  hall.  It  could  not  be  determined  which  sentiment 
prevailed.  There  were  enough  cries  of  "Yes,"  however,  to 
encourage  those  who  believe  that  the  Southland  has  reached 
its  awakening  day.  The  Senator  resumed,  saying :  "  I  know 
that  education  increases  intelligence,  increases  the  usefulness 
and  value  of  the  citizen.  I ." 

"Then  why  not  educate  these  'niggers?'  "  asked  a  voice 
to  the  Senator's  left. 

"Because  education  makes  them  too  'damn  smart.'  Have 
you  ever  come  in  contact  with  an  educated  'nigger?'  "  the 
Senator  asked. 

"Yes,  hundreds  of  them.  Does  not  education  make  him 
a  better  citizen?" 

"Can  a  'nigger'  be  a  good  citizen,  when  he  is  out  of  his 
sphere?"  was  the  Senator's  reply.  "I  know  the  'nigger's' 
place,  and  it  is  not  in  the  schools,  nor  is  it  at  the  polls,  where 
he  is  dictating  to  white  men.  His  business  is  to  do  the  white 
man's  bidding.  This  is  a  white  man's  country.  I  tell  you 
if  you  persist  in  this  fool  idea  of  educating  those  'niggers,' 
in  one  more  generation  they  will  have  their  feet  on  our 
necks ;  they  will  rule  us  instead  of  our  ruling  them.  I " 

"Why,  Senator,  can  these  ignorant  Negroes  overcome  your 
race  in  one  generation?  Are  your  people  at  a  standstill? 
Are  you  retrograding?"  asked  a  Northern  man. 

"Overcome!  Standstill!  Retrograding!  Hell,  no!  My 
people  are  the  finest  in  the  world.  Before  they  will  be  over- 
come they  will  shoot  every  damn  'nigger'  off  the  face  of  the 


AS    WE    SEE    IT.  207 

earth.  Standstill!  Retrograde!  White  men  cannot  retro- 
grade. We  are  burdened  with  this  'nigger'  load.  If  there 
were  no  'niggers'  in ." 

"Yes,  but  that  does  not  answer  my  question,"  persisted 
the  Northerner.  "How,  under  a  compulsory  education  law, 
can  one  part  of  a  community  outstrip  another,  all  things 
being  equal?  If  your  people  are  superior  to  these  people, 
and  I  assume  that  they  are,  wherein  lies  the  danger?  Would 
not  their  education  be  a  positive  benefit?  Would ." 

"You  are  entering  into  a  discussion  of  a  matter  that 
Northern  men  cannot  understand;  only  Southern  men  are 
capable  of  understanding  this  question,  of  explaining  it  in 
its  proper  lurht,'"  was  the  Senator's  peevish  reply. 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  was  the  snappish  rejoinder.  Cries  of 
"order"  eame  from  all  parts  of  the  hall. 

"Mr.  Toastmaster,"  continued  the  Senator,  "I  have  been 
interrupted.  I  had  not  contemplated  a  discussion  of  this 
'nigger'  question.  In  conclusion,  let  me  say,  and  to  this  I 
stick,  that  the  only  possible  way  for  us  to  maintain  our  suprem- 
acy is  not  to  educate  these  'niggers.'  By  their  education 
we  are  only  hastening  the  day  of  conflict  between  the  races." 

When  the  Senator  resumed  his  seat  he  seemed  a  bit  sur- 
prised that  his  sentiments  fell  flat  upon  all  his  hearers,  save 
the  Governor. 

Professor  Smirchum  responded  to  the  toast :  ' '  The  College 
as  it  Shapes  the  Destinies  of  Nations."  The  Professor  en- 
larged on  the  beauties  of  College  life.  The  ties  of  friendship 
that  are  formed  at  Colleges  and  never  severed.  The  many 
great  men  that  have  gone  forth  from  them  who  have  made 
the  world  better  by  their  teachings.  That  the  College  is 
the  great  beacon  light  which  attracts  all  men.  That  the 
great  God  of  the  Universe  had  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  men 
of  means  to  endow  Colleges  in  large  sums  of  money  that 
their  usefulness  to  all  mankind  might  be  perpetuated. 


208  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

"But,"  added  the  Professor,  "there  is  one  element  of  our 
society,  the  Negro,  which  is  not  contemplated  in  the  organi- 
zation of  our  Colleges,  who  has  become  so  persistent  that  we 
cannot  keep  him  out,  and  who  is  creating  no  end  of  troublo. 
We  should  keep  the  Negro  out  of  our  Colleges." 

"Why?"  came  the  question  in  a  chorus  of  voices. 

"Well,  because  we  should,"  answered  the  Professor. 

"An  excellent  reason,"  laughed  a  questioner. 

"Have  you  ever  taught  a  Negro?'  asked  the  Professor. 

' '  Oh,  yes ;  I  have  been  teaching  them  all  my  life, ' '  was  the 
response.  "I  played  with  them  when  a  child.  I  have  eaten, 
drank,  slept,  and  shared  my  roof  with  these  people,  as  all 
Southern  men  of  the  old  families  have,  and  will  do  again. 
But,  Professor,  I  am  interested  in  your  remarks.  The  great 
God  of  the  Universe  is  the  head  of  all  Northern  Colleges,  is 
he  not?" 

"I  do  not  care  to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  that  question 
with  the  gentleman.  Suffice  it  to  say,  this  Negro  element  is 
causing  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  our  Colleges."  The  Pro- 
fessor seated  himself,  not  wholly  satisfied  that  his  tirade  had 
struck  a  popular  chord. 

In  response  to  the  toast:  "The  State"  the  Governor  gave 
his  experience  as  Governor.  He  spoke  of  the  great  trials  and 
burdens  that  a  governor  has  to  bear,  how  perplexing  it  is, 
at  times,  to  determine  what  course  to  pursue.  He  thanked 
God,  however,  that  he  always  knew  what  course  to  take 
when  it  came  to  'niggers/ 

"I  cut  off  our  money  that  was  appropriated  for  'nigger' 
normal  schools.  I  would  rather  see  this  money  burned  than 
be  used  for  such  a  purpose,"  shouted  the  Governor,  making 
this  last  statement  in  a  loud  voice  as  the  climax  to  his  speech. 
As  he  took  his  seat  he  wondered  what  had  come  over  these 
Southern  people  that  such  sentiments  failed  to  arouse  them. 
The  Governor  failed  to  see,  as  some  of  his  Southern  brethren 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  209 

for  years  had  failed  to  see,  that  the  world  is  moving  forward 
and  not  backward,  and  that  even  the  South  must  move  on  or 
stand  a  desert  country  in  a  land  of  plenty. 

Professor  Narrows  was  called  upon  to  respond  to  the 
toast,  "The  Ladies,"  though  none  were  present.  He  did 
justice  to  his  subject,  not  once  referring  to  Negroes.  It 
would  have  been  very  bad  form,  indeed,  to  have  referred  to 
a  Negro  while  speaking  to  the  toast,  "The  Ladies/' 

The  Professor  seemed  to  be  aware  of  this  rule  of  Southern 
etiquette. 

When  Dean  Sternly  arose  to  respond  to  the  toast,  "Man- 
kind," there  was  a  momentary  silence,  a  stillness  that  was 
broken  only  by  a  greeting  of  hand-clapping  which  was 
accorded  no  other  speaker  of  the  evening.  His  eyes  sought 
those  of  the  former  Senator.  The  difference  betwen  these 
men  was  very  marked.  The  former  Senator  was  of  the 
mushroom  variety.  His  family  had  never  been  heard  of 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  native  county,  until  his  advent  into 
politics.  His  general  air,  his  table  manners,  his  deportment, 
did  not  bespeak  the  cultured  gentleman.  His  whole  appear- 
ance gave  unmistakable  evidence  that  he  was  born  of  no 
gentlewoman,  but  was  undeniably  a  scion  of  that  "cracker" 
element  that  a  turn  of  the  wheel  of  fortune  had  suddenly 
tossed  into  prominence. 

"Mr.  Toastmaster  and  Gentlemen,"  said  Dean  Sternly, 
"I  did  not  expect  to  be  called  upon  to  discuss  the  Negro, 
when  I  accepted  your  invitation  to  respond  to  the  toast 
'Mankind.'  But  it  appears  to  me,  from  the  remarks  of  the 
gentlemen  who  have  preceded  me,  that  they  consider  him,  at 
least,  a  part  of  mankind.  That,  to  me,  is  very  encouraging. 

"It  may  be  proper  at  this  point  to  state  that  I  am  a  native 
of  this  State,  of  this  county,  of  this  city.  My  ancestors  were 
among  the  first  settlers  here,  when  Alabama  was  a  trackless 
forest,  inhabited  only  by  the  aborigines  and  wild  animals. 


210  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

My  ancestral  home  across  the  river  can  still  be  seen  from  the 
windows  in  this  hall.  There,  ten  generations  of  Stearnlys 
have  lived  and  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the 
property,  the  strength,  the  intelligence  of  our  dear  old  State. 
I  make  mention  of  these  facts  that  you  may  all  know  not 
only  that  my  training  was  received  here,  my  sympathies  are 
here,  but  that  this  Negro  question  is  nothing  new  to  me.  I 
have  known  the  Negro  all  my  life.  I  have  lived  with  him  on 
those  dear  old  hills  across  the  river,  and  I  have  loved  him  for 
his  simple  faith,  his  unquestioning  devotion,  his  unselfish 
service  to  me  and  mine. 

"Mr.  Toastmaster  and  Gentlemen,  I  am  going  to  say  some 
plain,  unvarnished  things  to  you.  Let  me  say,  first  of  all, 
that  I  am  thoroughly  aware  of  the  fact  that  it  is  not  popular 
in  this  section  of  the  country  to  tell  men  of  their  faults, 
particularly  when  those  faults  have  relation  to  their  treat- 
ment of  the  Negro.  The  world  would  be  better  off,  mankind 
would  suffer  less  from  chicanery  and  deceit,  there  would  be 
less  heartache,  if  we  would  frankly  tell  our  brothers,  in  love 
and  not  in  anger,  of  their  faults.  I  feel  perfectly  justified 
tonight  because  of  my  ancestry  and  my  relations  in  talking 
frankly  upon  this  Negro  question,  which  has  been  so  unfairly 
and  so  unjustly  handled  here  tonight. 

"When  he  states  that  it  is  better  to  keep  white  children  in 
ignorance  and  not  force  them  by  legislative  enactment  to 
attend  school,  for  fear  that  the  same  law  will  force  Negro 
children  to  attend  school,  the  Senator  lays  down  a  most  re- 
markable doctrine.  It  is  preposterous  that  the  relative 
education  of  the  Negroes  and  the  whites  will  result  in  the 
domination  of  the  whites  by  the  blacks.  For  us  to  believe 
that  the  shotgun  and  the  torch  are  the  necessary  sequels  of 
a  compulsory  education  law  is  to  admit  that  the  Negro  is  the 
superior  race,  and  ours  the  inferior  one,  and  that  we  fear  the 
loss  by  force  of  the  position  we  now  hold  by  fraud.  It  is  nc 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  211 

compliment  to  the  intelligence  and  standing  of  the  gentle- 
men who  are  present  tonight  for  such  sentiments  as  we  have 
heard  here  to  be  heralded  to  the  whole  country  as  the  opinion 
of  the  sober-minded  and  better- thinking  whites  of  the  South 
I  do  not  subscribe  to  such  sentiments  and  wish  most  emphatic- 
ally to  be  put  on  record  as  expressing  my  disapproval  of 
them.  Such  ideas  are  in  contravention  of  the  spirit  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  every  good  citizen 
is  pledged  to  uphold  and  support.  They  are  opposed  to  the 
doctrines  of  Christianity,  which  teaches  the  Fatherhood  of 
God  and  the  Brotherhood  of  Man.  They  violate  the  spirit 
of  our  American  civilization,  which  declares  for  equal  rights 
for  all  and  special  privileges  for  none. 

"If  we  are  not  patriotic  enough  to  uphold  our  Constitu- 
tion; or,  if  we  do  not  accept  the  Christian  doctrine  of 
Brotherhood;  or,  if  we  do  not  believe  in  the  theory  of  equal 
rights,  as  business  men  we  ought  to  seek  the  Negro's  eleva- 
tion politically,  socially,  and  economically ;  because  the  more 
we  elevate  him  and  increase  his  earning  power,  his  saving 
power,  and  his  intelligent  appreciation  of  his  relation  to  his 
community,  the  more  valuable  he  is  to  us.  He  becomes  a 
land  owner  and  must  need  money  which  he  will  invest  in  our 
stocks  and  deposit  in  our  banks.  As  he  earns  more  he 
spends  more.  Intelligence  and  education  increase  his  needs 
and  wants,  which  we  alone  can  supply.  It  is  worse  than  sui- 
cidal for  us  to  restrain  and  restrict  the  development  of  such 
an  element  in  our  community. 

''The  rural  Negroes  in  this  county  earn  on  the  average 
eight  dollars  per  month.  Nearly  every  dollar  of  it 
comes  back  to  us  through  our  stores  and  business  people. 
Suppose  in  some  way  we  could  increase  their  earning  power 
to  twenty,  thirty,  or  fifty  dollars  per  month ;  their  additional 
earnings  would  still  come  to  us.  If  you  had  a  piece  of  poor 
land,  would  you  keep  it  poor?  Would  you  use  every  effort 


212  AS     WE     SEE     IT. 

to  prevent  the  improvement  of  the  land  or  would  you  fertil- 
ize and  cultivate  it  so  as  to  increase  its  productive  power? 
Of  course  you  would  improve  it.  Why  not  pursue  the  same 
course  toward  the  Negro.  If  schools  improve  the  earning 
power  and  civic  value  of  the  whites,  they  will  do  the  same 
for  the  Negro.  If  kindness  and  brotherly  love  and  opportu- 
nity make  the  white  man  a  better  citizen,  they  will  make  the 
black  man  more  useful  and  more  valuable.  Whenever  a 
citizen  is  made  better  the  community  is  made  richer.  It 
would  seem  therefore  that  this  attitude  of  repression  and 
proscription  toward  the  Negro  is  not  only  un-American,  un- 
Christian,  and  unjust,  but  it  is  positively  impairing  the  very 
communities  we  are  pretending  to  serve. 

"Again,  it  is  impossible  to  practice  such  injustices  upon 
our  weaker  brother  without  directly  injuring  and  preventing 
the  right  development  of  our  own  moral  natures.  To  culti- 
vate unreasoning  prejudice,  to  concoct  schemes  which  are 
aimed  at  the  peace,  happiness  or  welfare  of  another  is  to  set 
in  motion  influences  that  sap  out  the  sweetness  and  beauty 
of  our  souls.  This  sort  of  an  attitude  embitters  our  own 
lives,  handicaps  our  children,  spoils  our  women,  degrades 
our  homes  and  undermines  our  civilization.  I  cannot  under- 
stand and  have  never  understood  why  we  commit  ourselves 
to  this  unwise  and  un- Christian  policy. 

"For  myself,  there  is  no  right  or  privilege  which  I  enjoy 
or  which  I  seek  for  my  family  that  I  am  not  willing  to  accord 
to  the  humblest  Negro  in  the  land,  and  I  believe  that  it  is  in 
this  spirit  that  the  proper  solution  of  this  vexed  question 
must  come. 

'  *  We  must  realize  and  accept  the  fact  that  we  cannot  keep 
among  us  and  treat  as  aliens  a  race  of  people  who  are  wor- 
shiping the  same  God,  reading  the  same  Bible,  attending 
the  same  school  system,  serving  under  the  same  flag,  forming 
a  part  of  the  same  civilization.  We  must  accept  them  as  a 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  213 

part  of  our  homogeneous  population  and  treat  all  alike,  or 
we  must  get  rid  of  them  entirely.  Since  the  latter  is  impos- 
sible, the  former  is  clearly  our  duty. 

"Let  me  urge  you  to  educate  the  Negro  to  see  political 
issues  as  you  do;  to  treat  him  politically  as  you  do  other 
races  of  mankind  that  have  come  among  you. 

"Your  legislature  has  just  enacted  a  State- wide  prohi- 
bition law.  In  Mobile  it  is  enforced  strictly  against  the 
Negro.  The  Negro  dens  and  saloons  have  been  closed  up  and 
it  is  well-nigh  impossible  for  Negroes  to  obtain  intoxicating 
liquors,  a  thing  for  which  the  better  class  of  Negroes  are 
truly  thankful,  while  the  low  and  vicious  whites  have  free  ac- 
cess to  it.  Your  prohibition  law,  so  far  as  it  is  enforced,  is 
similar  to  your  educational  qualifications  as  to  the  franchise. 
You  place  before  these  people  an  incentive,  an  obstacle  to 
overcome,  which  you  do  not  place  before  the  ignorant  of  your 
own  race.  Illiteracy  among  the  poor  whites  is  not  decreasing 
as  rapidly  as  it  is  among  the  Negroes.  The  poor  whites  have 
practically  the  same  percentage  of  illiteracy  now  as  they 
had  fifty  years  ago.  You  say  to  the  Negro,  educate  your 
children.  You  leave  the  ignorant  white  man  to  flounder  on 
and  on,  upon  the  theory  that  because  he  is  a  white  man,  that 
will  suffice.  It  does  seem  to  me  that  the  folly  of  such  a  policy 
should  be  apparent  to  all  men. 

"Gentlemen,  do  you  know  what  these  Negroes  are  doing? 
Do  you  know  that  they  control  just  a  few  thousand  less 
than  five  hundred  million  dollars  worth  of  farm  property  in 
this  country  ?  Do  you  know  that  they  own  and  operate  farms 
valued  at  six  millions  of  dollars  more  than  the  total  of  all 
capital  invested  in  manufactories  in  the  twelve  Southern 
States  in  eighteen  sixty?  This  farm  land  that  they  own  and 
operate  if  put  acre  to  acre  would  make  a  strip  of  land  five 
miles  wide  that  would  reach  from  New  York  City  to  San 
Francisco.  If  by  nineteen  forty,  as  predicted  by  the  United 


214  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

States  Census  Bureau,  the  illiteracy  of  the  Negro  disap- 
pears and  the  ratio  of  their  increasing  wealth  continues, 
what  will  you  do?  You  will  have  forced  him  to  qualify  for 
the  ballot,  both  educationally  and  financially,  and  by  this 
course  will  have  made  a  man  of  him,  as  it  were,  at  the  same 
time  leaving  the  poor  white  where  he  has  been  for  genera- 
tions. You  have  kept  the  Negroes  out  of  your  lives,  polit- 
ically. You  have  not  taught  him  to  believe  in  your  political 
creed;  but  you  have  taught  him  that  your  creed  means  dis- 
franchisement  and  oppression  for  him  and  his  children.  You 
will  have  educated  him  up  to  the  white  man's  standard  and 
that  standard  set  by  yourselves.  He  will  be  an  American 
citizen,  thanks  to  your  foresight.  What  will  you  do  with 
him? 

"Gentlemen,  there  is  but  one  way  to  solve  this  question. 
That  is,  to  prove  the  superiority  of  your  race.  Treat  these 
people,  as  you  do  all  other  peoples  who  come  among  you; 
educate  them  up  to  your  way  of  thinking ;  make  your  inter- 
ests their  interests.  Bind  them  to  you  by  kindness  and 
consideration  and  make  them  feel  that  their  interests  lie 
with  the  men  who  are  native  to  the  soil.  I  beg  that  you 
gentlemen  will  bear  with  me  for  confining  myself  wholly 
to  the  Negro  question;  but  it  seems  that  this  is  the  all- 
absorbing  topic  in  most  Southern  gatherings  of  the  day,  and 
unless  we  take  a  more  rational  view  of  it  we  will  lay  the 
foundation  of  trouble  for  the  generations  to  come." 

When  Dean  Stearnley  had  finished  a  silence  filled  the  hall. 
Many  gentlemen  left  their  seats  to  congratulate  him.  This 
line  of  argument,  so  different  from  that  usually  advanced  by 
Southern  men,  caused  considerable  adverse  comment  from 
those  who  hoped  to  profit,  politically,  by  keeping  up  a  strife 
between  the  races ;  but  it  was  plain  that  with  a  majority  of 
those  present  Dean  Stearnley  had  advanced  a  line  of  thought 
that  struck  responsive  chords  in  their  hearts.  They  were, 


AS    WE    SEE    IT.  215 

many  of  them,  tired  of  the  everlasting  flaunting  of  the  Negro 
bugaboo  for  political  purposes  and  were  sincerely  desirous 
of  devoting  their  time  and  their  talents  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  South ;  and  they  welcomed  this  new  doctrine  as  sane 
and  safe. 

The  Senator  and  his  followers  who  had  profited  by  preach- 
ing "nigger,"  "nigger,"  all  the  time,  did  not  dare  assail 
Dean  Stearnley's  arguments,  which  were  so  plainly  true  and 
unanswerable,  but  waited  until  they  were  among  the  class 
of  whites  who  are  always  ready  and  willing  to  listen  to  this 
senseless  babble. 

After  spending  some  time  in  after  dinner  conversation, 
Dean  Stearnley's  party,  which  now  included  Malcolm  and  his 
bride,  left  the  hall  and  resumed  their  journey  to  the  Overley 
plantation,  in  A County. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

HEN  Abe  left  Malcolm  and  his  bride  he  proceeded 

at  once  to  the  County  of  C ,  nine  miles  below 

the  Overley  plantation.  He  arrived  near  mid- 
night, walking  across  the  county  to  Cleo's  cabin,  where  he 
rested  during  the  day,  while  gathering  the  news  of  the 
neighborhood.  Abe  learned  that  Buck  Lashum  could  be  seen 
any  fine  morning  in  a  glass  inclosure,  which  his  father  had 
built  on  his  front  porch.  His  chair  is  rolled  into  this  retreat 
where  he  is  left  for  hours  at  a  time. 

Abe  concluded  to  visit  him  in  this  place.  When  he  saw 
Buck  in  his  helpless  condition,  noticed  his  look  of  recogni- 
tion, and  that,  although  he  could  neither  move  nor  speak, 
his  face  bore  a  look  of  terror,  he  concluded  to  leave  him  as  he 
was,  feeling  that  his  punishment  would  be  greater  if  left  in 
that  condition.  Abe  succeeded  in  regaining  the  Overley 
plantation  without  having  been  seen.  Early  Christmas 
morning,  Abe,  mounted  on  Ben,  the  Overley  horse  mentioned 
in  a  previous  chapter,  was  riding  through  the  back  woods, 
when  suddenly  he  came  upon  a  horseman,  who,  upon  seeing 
him,  wheeled  his  horse  and  fled  into  the  woods.  Abe  recog- 
nized Jack  Smaly  in  the  fleeing  horseman. 

"Go,  Ben!  Go!"  cried  Abe.  The  old  racer  seemed  to 
understand  that  he  was  to  make  the  effort  of  his  life.  Away 
he  dashed  along  the  cow  path  over  which  Jack  was  racing. 
Abe  noticed  that  Jack  was  well  mounted.  His  horse  seemed 
scarcely  to  touch  the  earth,  so  quick  was  she  in  her  move- 
ments. 

'  *  Ben,  go  !  Are  you  going  to  fail  me  now  ?  On !  On !  I 
tell  you ! "  Abe  had  his  horse  trace  buckled  about  his  waist ; 
he  raised  it  above  his  head  to  deal  old  Ben  a  blow,  but 
lowered  his  hand,  muttering:  "No,  this  is  not  for  you. 

216 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  217 

Never  will  I  disgrace  you,  old  horse,  by  a  blow  with  this 
blood-stained  lash.  This  is  for  murderers." 

The  old  horse,  now  thoroughly  aroused,  increased  his  pace, 
rapidly  closing  in  on  Jack,  who  seemed  to  know  that  he  was 
being  overhauled.  A  few  more  bounds  brought  them  to  a 
clearing,  across  which  their  course  led.  Jack  turned  in  his 
saddle,  with  a  pistol  in  his  right  hand,  which  he  leveled  and 
fired  at  Abe  twice  in  rapid  succession.  Abe  swung  his  horse 
to  Jack's  left,  making  it  impossible  for  him  to  turn  far 
enough  in  his  saddle  to  get  his  range  without  unseating 
himself.  Jack's  movements  were  fatal  to  him,  as  they  caused 
his  horse  to  slacken  her  pace.  At  the  same  time  his  shots 
went  wide  of  their  mark.  As  old  Ben  came  along  side  of 
Jack's  horse,  Abe  dealt  Smaly  a  blow  upon  the  head  which 
knocked  him  to  the  ground.  Jack  fell  upon  his  head,  the 
force  of  the  fall  breaking  his  neck. 

Abe  dismounted  and  hastened  to  his  victim,  thinking  to 
lash  him  as  he  had  his  brother ;  but  he  found  Jack  dead,  and 
concluded  to  leave  him  where  he  had  fallen  knowing  that 
his  friends  would  soon  find  him.  Abe  then  went  to  his 
father's  cabin,  where  he  found  the  old  man  at  breakfast, 
which  had  been  prepared  by  one  of  Cleo's  girls.  After 
greeting  his  father,  Abe  greeted  the  girl  just  as  if  he  had  not 
seen  her  before.  He  remained  until,  by  the  confusion  at  the 
big  house,  he  knew  Malcolm  and  his  bride  and  friends  had 
arrived.  Abe  found  them  as  Malcolm  was  introducing  Mrs. 
Overley  to  his  father. 

"What  is  that  you  say,  boy?"  exclaimed  the  father. 

"Your  wife?  Who  the ?  What  the ?  How  in  the 

—  ?  You  have  disobeyed  me,  Sir.  Abe,  tell  me  what  my 
Abe  has  done.  Got  married?  Didn't  he  tell  me  that?  Not 
one  word,  sir.  You  have  disobeyed  me.  Abe,"  he  cried, 
addressing  Old  Abe,  "I  have  asked  that  boy  of  yours  to  tell 
me  what  my  Abe  has  done.  He  does  not  obey  me.  Those 


218  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

devils  still  hang  together  and  defy  me.  That  boy  has  been 
married." 

Old  Abe  seemed  to  take  in  the  whole  situation  at  a  glance. 
He  went  to  Mrs.  Overley,  looking  at  her  long  and  searchingly, 
then  said:  "Yo'll  suttenly  be  welcome  on  dis  heah  place. 
Dem  is  Miss  Miranda's  eyes.  Mr.  Overley,  Miss  Miranda 
sent  dat  chile  heah  to  look  arter  yo'  in  yo'  ole  days." 

There  was  a  long  silence,  during  which  the  old  man  looked 
first  at  Malcolm,  then  at  the  bride,  and  then  at  the  assembled 
friends.  Finally  he  extended  a  hand  to  Mabel,  drawing  her 
close  to  him,  and  as  he  did  so  he  implanted  a  kiss  upon  her 
forehead.  A  great  tear  stole  down  his  cheek,  his  lips 
trembled,  he  whispered  in  a  voice  scarcely  audible,  "Kinda," 
the  name  by  which  he  always  addressed  Malcolm's  mother. 
This  act,  simple  and  courteous  in  itself,  revealed  the  true 
heart  of  this  Southern  gentleman. 

Old  Abe  in  a  voice  rich  and  melodious,  one  of  those  voices 
around  which  sweet  memories  of  plantation  life  still  cling, 
broke  forth  in  the  good  old  hymn : 

"Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 
Our  hearts  in  sacred  love ; 
The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 
Is  like  to  that  above." 

Old  Abe's  happy  selection  inspired  the  most  cordial  feel- 
ings among  all  the  company. 

Mr.  John  K.  Evers,  who  had  joined  the  party  in  Mobile, 
said  to  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  Sr. : 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact 
that  it  is  now  12  o'clock,  noon,  December  25." 

He  then  produced  the  title  deeds  to  the  Overley  estate  which 
he  had  purchased  at  the  auction.  Mr.  Evers  delivered  the 
deeds  to  Mr.  Overley,  who  saw,  as  he  hastily  read  them,  that 
he  still  held  title  to  his  family  estates.  When  the  old  man 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  219 

fully  realized  that  the  burden  of  his  mortgage  was  lifted 
from  him  he  staggered  to  a  chair,  where  he  remained  several 
moments  in  deep  thought.  Finally  he  said: 

"To  whom  am  I  indebted  for  this?  Gentlemen,  something 
has  been  done  in  this  matter  that  I  cannot  accept.  Somebody 
has  paid  by  debts  without  my  consent.  Mr.  Evers,  I  ask 
for  a  full  explanation  of  this  matter. ' ' 

"Mr.  Donewell  here  may  be  able  to  enlighten  you,"  said 
Mr.  Evers. 

' '  This  is  Mr.  Donewell,  the  father  of  your  daughter-in-law, 
Mr. ." 

"Why,  Malcolm,  you  have  not  introduced  your  friends  to 
me.  Why ." 

"Dad,  if  you  will  only  give  me  a  chance  I  will  be  glad  to 
do  so,"  laughed  Malcolm.  Then  followed  a  general  intro- 
duction. After  which  Mr.  Overley  again  asked  the  question 
as  to  how  the  mortgage  on  his  place  had  been  paid.  Addres- 
sing himself  to  Mr.  Donewell,  he  said:  "I  have  been  told, 
sir,  that  you  can  explain  this  matter.  Who  did  this,  and 
why  was  it  done?" 

"Mr.  Overley,  you  are  giving  this  affair  too  much  consid- 
eration. I  straightened  the  thing  out.  I  felt  that  I  had  as 
much  right  to  provide  for  my  daughter  as  you  had  to  provide 
for  your  son,"  laughed  Mr.  Donewell.  "We  concluded  to 
keep  this  place  in  your  family,  provided  we  are  permitted  to 
live  upon  it  at  times. ' ' 

"At  times!"  cried  the  old  man.  "If  you  are  willing  to 
take  that  disobedient  boy  of  mine  in  exchange  for  this 
sweet  girl,  I  am  willing.  I  am  glad  enough  to  be  rid  of  him. 

He  has  caused  me  no  end  of  worry.  But .  Come  here, 

boy, ' '  addressing  Malcolm.  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  Sr.,  placed 
his  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  young  couple  remarking,  "I 
give  you  both  a  father's  blessing." 

"Amen,  I  jes  knowed  yo'  would,"  broke  in  Old  Abe. 


220  AS    WE    SEE    IT. 

Messengers  were  sent  out  and  soon  the  house  was  filled  with 
the  friends  and  well-wishers  of  the  Overleys,  young  and  old. 
A  Christmas  dinner  was  served  amid  wit  and  humor,  the 
kind  only  known  to  those  who  have  enjoyed  the  hospitality 
of  the  old  plantations  of  the  South.  Speech,  song,  and 
laughter  resounded  through  the  rafters  of  the  famous  old 
dining  room  until  early  morning.  Abe's  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings not  being  of  the  kind  that  held  sway  at  the  big  house, 
he  had  stolen  quietly  away  and  made  his  way  to  his  mother 's 
grave.  He  cast  himself  upon  the  cold  ground  beneath  which 
she  lay  still  and  motionless. 

"Mother,  I  have  avenged  thee.  Thy  murderers  now  lie 
cold  in  death.  Their  jeers  and  curses  are  stilled  forever. 
Their  pleadings  and  cries  will  be  answered  by  the  imps  of 
torment.  Oh,  great  God!  Where  art  Thou?  Mother,  my 
work  is  done.  What  wilt  thou  have  me  do  ?  The  land  of  my 
birth,  the  land  of  the  morning  of  my  life,  the  land  that  knows 
all  the  sweetness  of  my  childhood,  the  land  that  knows  thy 
motherly  care,  is  accursed  to  me  now.  By  the  gods!"  he 
exclaimed,  as  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  "I  would  that  I  could 
kill  each  one  of  them  over  again.  Oh,  mother,  guide  me 
anew.  What  wilt  thou  have  me  do  ? " 

While  Abe  stood  looking  down  upon  his  mother's  grave 
his  father  approached  him  and  said :  "My  boy,  come  wid  me, 
I  wants  to  talk  to  yo  V 

Abe  went  to  the  old  man 's  cabin,  where  he  listened  to  plans 
for  the  future.  Abe  did  not  divulge  the  secrets  of  his  life 
to  his  father. 

Jack  Smaly,  after  his  horse  had  made  its  way  home,  was 
found  by  his  friends  where  he  had  fallen.  The  verdict  of 
the  coroner's  jury  was,  that  he  came  to  his  death  by  a  "fall 
off  his  horse,  which  broke  his  neck."  Jack's  well-known 
habit  of  riding  through  the  woods  to  his  home  after  his 
nightly  carousals  paved  the  way  for  this  verdict.  Abe  was 
not  mentioned  in  connection  with  his  death. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

'EW  YEAR'S  day  came  only  too  soon.  Malcolm  was 
reminded  of  the  fact  that  he  still  had  his  course  at 
Oberlin  College  to  finish.  His  father  insisted  that  the 
bride  stay  with  him  for  a  short  time  only.  It  was  finally 
agreed  that  she  would  stay  on  the  plantation  until  Easter 
time,  when  she,  and  the- Senior  Overley,  would  visit  Oberlin. 
At  the  end  of  the  school  year  the  Donewells  and  Overleys 
would  make  an  extended  tour  of  Canada  and  Europe.  The 
party  finally  left.  Abe  bade  farewell  to  his  friends,  the 
mates  of  his  boyhood  days,  knowing  that  he  would  never 
return. 

His  farewell  to  his  mother's  grave  was  taken  in  silence. 
He  approached  the  mound  in  company  with  his  father, 
Messrs.  Overley  and  Donewell,  Dean  Sternly  and  Professor 
Smirchum.  This  old  woman's  grave  nestled  among  the 
graves  of  seven  generations  of  Overleys,  and  was  marked  by 
a  granite  stone  upon  which  was  inscribed  ' '  Mammy  'Rinda, ' ' 
a  term  of  endearment  fully  understood  only  by  those  who 
knew  and  appreciated  her.  As  the  party  stood  with  uncov- 
ered heads  different  thoughts  and  feelings  surged  through 
their  breasts. 

Abe's  sorrow  was  of  the  kind  that  wrings  men's  hearts. 
He  was  a  strong  man  bowed  with  grief,  a  strong  heart  burst- 
ing with  a  sense  of  injustice.  His  whole  being  strained  to 
the  bursting  point,  with  no  outlet.  Dry  eyes,  twitching 
mouth,  clinched  hands,  rigid  form,  marked  his  terrible  suf- 
ferings. All  eyes  were  turned  upon  him.  Professor 
Smirchum,  who  seemed  to  be  greatly  affected  by  Abe's  mute 
agony,  took  his  hand  and  said  in  a  kindly  voice : 

' '  Mr.  Overley,  I  am  sorry,  indeed,  to  see  the  extent  of  your 
sorrow.  Your  mother  must  have  been  a  grand  woman  to 

221 


222  AS    WE    SEE    IT. 

have  deserved  the  respect  she  seems  to  have  commanded. 
What  can  I  do  to  help  you?" 

"Nothing,  sir;  I  must  begin  life  anew,  and  amid  new 
scenes,  new  environments.  From  now  on  my  success  or  my 
failure  will  depend  upon  my  personal  efforts." 

Professor  Smirchum  drew  to  one  side  soliloquizing:  "How 
could  I  have  been  so  blind  as  to  believe  that  these  people  are 
different  from  any  other  people.  This  trip  reveals  to  me 
what  they  are  doing,  what  they  haVe  done,  in  what  respect 
vast  numbers  of  them  are  held  by  the  better  class  of  whites. 
I  am  now  convinced  that  the  great  howl  and  cry  sent  up  by 
this  Governor  is  a  fear  of  what  they  are  doing  and  not  what 
they  are  not  doing.  He  vetoed  the  bill  appropriating  money 
for  a  colored  normal  school.  At  the  same  time  he  was  forced, 
as  Governor,  to  sign  charters  for  twelve  Negro  banks.  Then 
these  people  raise  thousands  of  dollars  among  themselves  to 
carry  on  their  school.  What  an  object-lesson!  Could  there 
be  a  more  convincing  argument  as  to  the  energy  that  lies 
dormant  in  this  race?  What  in  the  name  of  God  will  be  the 
future  of  this  people?  If  my  Southern  brothers  do  not 
bestir  themselves,  do  not  awaken  their  'cracker'  brother, 
these  Negro  people  will  own  this  fair  Southland. ' '  Thus  this 
new  convert  reasoned  within  himself. 

"Abe,  my  boy,"  said  Malcolm  A.  Overley,  Sr.,  "I  am  still 
your  friend  in  the  full  sense  of  that  word.  Whatever  you 
do  when  you  leave  school,  remember  that  I  am  entitled  to 
know. ' ' 

"Mr.  Overley,  I  shall  always  remember  you,"  answered 
Abe.  "I  shall  always  keep  in  touch  with  you.  Your  kind- 
ness to  me  is  the  one  bright  spot  in  my  memory  that  binds 
me  to  this  old  plantation."  As  Abe  finished  Mr.  Overley 
placed  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  saying  with  intense 
earnestness. 

"My  boy,  that  mound  of  earth  covers  one  of  the  noblest 


AS     WE     SEE    IT.  223 

women  that  it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  meet.  I  can  never  for- 
get that  she  took  my  Abe  to  her  breast,  a  puny,  sickly  child, 
nursed  him  day  and  night,  put  new  life  in  him,  guided  his 
footsteps,  was  a  mother  to  him,  indeed,  until  he  is  now  the 
man  of  whom  I  am  proud.  That  old  woman  was  your  mother. 
She  was  a  slave  in  name,  but  never  in  fact.  Boy,  there  is 
nothing  I  will  not  do  for  you  so  long  as  you  are  true  to 
her  teachings.  Your  old  father  has  ever  been  my  companion. 
We  shall  continue  our  journey  of  life  together." 

"I  thank  you,  Mr.  Overley,"  said  Abe,  as  they  clasped 
hands. 

Professor  Smirchum  had  been  a  close  observer  of  all  that 
was  transpiring.  He  had  never  dreamed  of  such  friend- 
ships among  the  people  of  the  South. 

When  the  party  turned  to  leave  Abe  put  his  arm  about 
his  father  and  said:  "Dad,  I  leave  with  Malcolm  tomorrow. 
I  have  three  more  years  in  school  in  which  time  I  hope  to 
have  finished  a  course  in  civil  engineering;  then,  if  God  has 
been  merciful  to  us,  I  will  send  for  you  to  spend  your  last 
days  with  me  and  mine." 

The  old  man  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  said:  "Lawd, 
watch  over  my  boy.  Thy  will  be  done. ' ' 

As  the  sun  went  down  the  next  day,  the  Donewell  car, 
with  Abe  aboard,  crossed  the  Alabama  line,  bearing  him  away 
from  scenes  and  faces  which  he  was  destined  never  to  see 
again. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

HEN  the  Done  well  party  arrived  in  Oberlin  Abe 
took  his  leave  of  them,  explaining  that  he 
would  go  to  New  York  City  and  prepare 
himself  for  entrance  to  the  College  which  he  had  selected. 
After  tramping  about  the  city  for  several  days  he  pro- 
cured a  job  as  assistant  janitor  to  an  old  Negro,  who  had 
charge  of  a  flat  building,  at  ten  dollars  per  month  and  board. 
Abe  soon  made  himself  felt  by  his  willingness  to  work. 
The  owner  of  the  flat,  who  was  a  prosperous  Jew,  watched 
Abe  very  closely.  Noting  his  studious  habits  and  general 
deportment,  he  concluded  he  would  offer  Abe  a  better  job. 

"Young  man  I  haf  noticed  dot  you  never  goes  out.  You 
haf  always  a  book.  What  for  you  reads  all  of  the  time?" 

"I  am  trying  to  prepare  myself  for  College.  I  want  to 
take  a  course  in  civil  engineering,"  answered  Abe. 

"Veil,  dot  is  very  goot.  I  likes  to  see  a  young  man  dot  is 
trying  to  help  himself.  I  needs  a  goot  man  in  a  goot  job. 
But  you  haf  no  vife.  You  gets  yourself  a  goot  vife,  and  I 
finds  you  a  good  job." 

' '  Mr.  Goldenheimer,  your  suggestion  makes  it  well  nigh  im- 
possible for  me  to  accept,"  said  Abe.  "I  am  sure  I  do  not 
know  where  I  will  find  this  good  woman.  What  will  this 
job  pay?" 

"Veil,  for  you  and  a  vife  I  pays  seventy-five  dollars  a 
month  and  rent  free.  Dot  is  very  goot  vages.  I  works  for 
three  dollars  a  week  for  two  years  onct.  Vot  you  think  of 
dot?" 

"When  do  you  want  me  to  go  to  work?"  asked  Abe. 

"I  needs  a  man  right  avay,"  answered  Mr.  Goldenheimer. 
'  *  But  vy  you  axe  ven  I  vants  you  ? ' '  Abe  was  silent  for  some 
moments.  He  was  considering  the  advisability  of  explaining 
his  love  affair  to  Mr.  Goldenheimer.  Finally  he  said: 

224 


AS     WE     SEE     IT.  225 

''Mr.  Goldenheimer,  I  am  engaged  to  a  girl  who  is  college 
bred,  who  has  always  had  a  good  home,  has  never  done  work 
of  any  kind,  save  that  which  would  naturally  fall  to  her 
about  her  father 's  home.  We  are  to  be  married  when  I  finish 
my  course.  I  do  not  feel  that  I  should  offer  her  this  home, 
being  so  different  from  that  to  which  she  has  been  accus- 
tomed. But  I  am  sure,  sir,  I  can  do  your  work  as  well  with- 
out a  wife,  as  I  can  with  one. ' ' 

"  Young  man,  I  pelebes  you  can.  I  make  it  a  rule  to  hire 
no  mans  dot  has  not  a  vife,"  said  Mr.  Goldenheimer.  "But 
I  say  dot  if  dot  young  lady  ish  a  goot  one  she  vill  come.  I 
vates  two  weeks.  Nine  hundred  dollars  a  year.  You  mind 
dot?" 

"What  must  I  do?  Will  Nancy  think  me  a  fool  if  I  make 
this  suggestion  to  her?  I  will  ask  Uncle  Joe  and  Aunt  Jane 
what  they  think.  I  will  also  write  Malcolm.  Mr.  Donewell 
ought  to  be  able  to  write  me  what  is  best  to  do.  Mr.  Overley 
— but  he  is  too  far  away.  My  father  would  be  compelled  to 
get  some  person  to  write  for  him. ' '  Thus  Abe  reasoned  with 
himself.  He  finally  concluded  to  write  Miss  Watson  and 
explain  the  matter  to  her. 

He  wrote  her  as  follows : 

NEW  YORK  CITY,  February  — ,  18 — . 
DEAR  NANCY  : 

The  contents  of  this  note  may  not  please  you,  but  read  it 
carefully  and  answer  by  return  mail,  as  I  have  but  two  weeks 
to  consider.  Mr.  Goldenheimer,  for  whom  you  will  remember 
I  am  working,  has  offered  me  a  position  as  janitor  of  a  build- 
ing at  nine  hundred  dollars  per  year  and  house  rent,  light, 
and  fuel  free,  provided  I  get  a  wife.  Nancy,  can  you  help 
me  out  in  this  matter?" 

Yours,  as  ever, 

ABE. 
P.  S. — Answer  by  return  mail. 

ABE. 


226  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

P.  S. — This  offer  is  open  to  me  for  two  weeks.  Answer 
soon. 

ABE. 

When  the  letter  reached  Miss  Watson  she  smiled  to  herself 
thinking  that  Abe  must  have  been  a  bit  agitated  when  he 
wrote.  She,  however,  went  immediately  to  her  mother  and 
put  the  letter  in  her  hands.  After  reading  the  note  several 
times,  the  mother  said : 

"Daughter,  what  do  you  want  to  do?" 

' '  Go, ' '  was  the  daughter 's  brief  reply. 

"But  will  your  father  consent?  This  is  so  sudden," 
answered  the  mother. 

Mr.  Watson  was  called  into  the  room  and  given  the  note. 
He,  too,  smiled  when  he  read  it. 

"Daughter,  this  is  a  very  sudden  proposal.  I  am  not 
prepared  to  give  my  consent.  I  will  communicate  with  my 
friends  in  New  York  City.  I  have  had  dealings  for  years 
with  a  Goldenheimer,  of  that  city.  I  wonder  if  this  is  he? 
However,  daughter,  I  will  not  keep  him  waiting  very  long." 

Mr.  Watson  called  Mr.  Goldenheimer,  who  was  a  wholesale 
grocer,  over  the  long-distance  telephone.  He  appeared  to 
be  satisfied  with  what  he  learned,  but  said  nothing  to  his 
wife,  preferring  to  wait  for  Abe's  next  note. 

Abe  received  the  following  in  reply  to  his  urgent  letter : 

OBERLIN,  OHIO,  February  — ,  18 — . 
MR.  ABRAHAM  OVERLEY: 

DEAR  SIR — Your  brief  and  ambiguous  note  has  reached  me. 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  understand  just  what  you  want.  Can  I 
"help  you  out?"  Do  you  want  me  to  look  up  some  woman 
to  be  your  wife  ?  Two  weeks  is  a  very  short  time  in  which  to 
undertake  such  an  important  matter.  I  will  consult  my 
mother.  Maybe  she  can  "help  you  out."  In  the  meantime 
you  write  my  father  and  ask  his  assistance.  I  will  be  glad 
to  have  your  plans  more  in  detail. 

Your  friend, 

NANCY  WATSON. 


AS    WE    SEE    IT.  227 

When  Abe  read  Miss  Watson's  note  he  immediately  for- 
worded  to  her  a  full  statement  of  his  plans,  laying  great 
stress  upon  the  fact  that  he  could  have  his  old  father  with 
him  should  he  be  able  to  obtain  this  position.  He  also  wrote 
Mr.  Watson,  explaining  the  situation.  Before  the  letter 
reached  Mr.  Watson,  however,  one  from  Mr.  Goldenheimer 
had  reached  him  in  which  he  was  told  Abe  would  be  carefully 
looked  after  and  that  so  long  as  he  did  his  work  in  a  proper 
manner  this  job  or  something  better  was  open  to  him.  Ten 
days  later  we  find  Abe  installed  in  his  new  home,  a  four- 
room  flat  which  had  been  furnished  by  Mr.  Goldenheimer  as 
a,  present  to  the  bride-elect. 

Abe  was  the  proudest  man  in  all  New  York  City.  Miss 
Watson  and  her  father  were  due  in  the  city  at  2  p.  m.,  but  we 
find  Abe  at  the  station  before  1  o'clock,  scanning  the  faces 
of  the  passengers  as  they  pass  out  from  the  trains.  Mr. 
Goldenheimer  happened  to  notice  Abe  as  he  passed  in  with 
some  friends,  and  said  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  his  eye : 

"My  poy,  vat  you  do  here  now?  Your  train  ish  not  due 
for  ein  hour  yet.  You  think  dot  girl  vill  go  mit  some 
fellow?"  passing  on  before  Abe  could  answer.  At  last  Abe's 
vigil  is  ended.  Miss  Watson  and  her  parents  appear  at  the 
gates.  The  party  was  joined  by  several  of  Mr.  Watson's 
friends,  men  of  means,  two  of  whom  were  real  estate  dealers, 
the  third  an  undertaker.  The  party  went  immediately  to 
the  home  of  the  editor  of  a  well-known  newspaper,  where  it 
had  been  arranged  the  marriage  ceremony  would  be 
performed. 

The  eventful  night  of  March  4,  18 — ,  came.  The  wedding 
guests  filled  the  editor's  home  to  overflowing,  elaborate 
gowns  were  conspicuous  by  their  absence,  it  being  under- 
stood that  the  bride  would  be  attired  in  street  costume.  The 

Rev.  Dr.  C officiated.  After  the  ceremony  Mr.  and  Mrs. 

Overley  received  the  congratulations  of  their  friends  after 


228  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

which  they  quietly  drove  to  their  new  home  in  company  with 
the  bride's  parents.  Abe  had  written  a  long  letter  to  his 
father  and  Mr.  Overley,  explaining  the  situation,  and  received 
their  hearty  consent  and  approval  in  return.  Within  six 
months  Mr.  Goldenheimer  raised  Abe's  salary  to  one  hundred 
dollars  per  month,  saying  that  he  considered  the  work  more 
than  one  man  could  do,  and  in  view  of  the  further  fact  that 
the  flat  was  filled  and  several  prospective  tenants  were  on 
the  waiting  list.  Abe 's  management  of  the  building  made  it 
a  very  desirable  place  in  which  to  live.  When  he  entered 
College  he  was  astonished  to  find  that  the  two  Japanese, 
whom  he  had  known  at  Oberlin  College,  had  also  entered 
upon  the  same  course  which  he  had  undertaken.  Abe  saw  a 
great  deal  of  these  men.  They  seemed  to  be  very  familiar 
with  certain  facts  connected  with  his  past.  At  the  end  of 
the  first  school  year  Abe  found  himself  marked  thirtieth  in 
a  class  of  forty-four.  He  seemed  very  much  disappointed  at 
his  rating. 

Mr.  Goldenheimer  said  to  him  a  few  days  later :  ' '  Veil,  my 
poy  you  pass.  You  do  very  well  mit  all  dot  vork  to  do. 
I  makes  you  my  head  janitor.  You  gets  one  hundred  dollars 
a  month  and  rent  free.  You  haf  more  time.  You  pass  high. 
How  dot  suit  you  ? ' ' 

Mr.  Goldenheimer,  I  scarcely  know  how  to  thank  you, 
I- ." 

"No;  dot  is  beseness,"  interrupted  Mr.  Goldenheimer. 
"You  do  my  vork  veil.  You  keep  my  house  full  all  the  time. 
Now,  you  keep  ten  houses  full  and  I  pays  you  more.  You 
buys  everything  dot  goes  in  dose  houses.  You  keeps  my 
house  account.  Now,  vat  you  say  to  dot  ? ' ' 

"I  will  do  my  best,  sir,"  answered  Abe. 

"Veil,  dot  is  beseness;  ven  you  not  do  dot  I  pays  you  and 
gets  somepody,"  said  Mr.  Goldenheimer. 


CHAPTER   XL. 

BE  now  had  more  time  to  devote  to  his  lectures,  and 
with  his  wife's  assistance  he  brought  his  rating  at  the 
end  of  his  second  school  year  up  to  sixth  in  a  class  of 
forty-nine.  His  wife  was  delighted  with  this  improvement, 
though  Abe  insisted  that  but  for  her  assistance  he  would  surely 
have  failed.  At  the  end  of  his  third  year,  when  it  was  known 
that  lie  was  one  of  the  first  three  of  his  class,  now  numbering 
forty,  the  Japanese  approached  him  with  a  proposal  which 
at  first  was  very  hard  for  Abe  to  resist.  They  called  Abe's 
attention  to  the  political  conditions  in  the  East,  which  were 
changing  very  rapidly.  Japan  was  determined  to  be  mis- 
tress of  the  Pacific,  and  in  the  near  future  he  might  hear  the 
roar  of  Japanese  guns  off  the  Western  Coast  of  the  United 
States.  They  told  him  that  he  had  no  reason  to  love  nor 
fight  for  a  flag  that  was  no  protection  to  him;  that  the 
Japanese  Government  wanted  educated  American  Negroes 
in  her  service,  where  his  race  would  be  no  bar  against  his 
advancement.  They  explained  to  him  further  that  they  were 
princes  of  the  blood  Royal  and  were  commissioned  by  the 
Mikado  to  enlist  or  commission  recruits  as  they  saw  fit. 
They  also  stated  that  they  had  commissioned  the  three 
Negroes,  who  would  graduate  with  them,  Second  Lieutenants 
in  the  Engineer  Corps  of  the  Japanese  Army  at  a  salary  of 
sixteen  hundred  dollars  per  year,  and  they  were  frank  to 
state  that  they  wanted  Abe  because  they  felt  that  he  would 
be  of  great  service  to  Japan,  should  a  conflict  come  on  be- 
tween the  two  countries.  The  wily  Jap  then  pictured  the 
lynching  of  Abe's  mother  and  sister  in  such  colors  that  the 
demon  in  him,  which  had  lain  dormant  for  three  years,  was 
aroused  and  took  flaming  hold  on  him  once  more.  His  blood 
took  on  the  fire  that  arouses  men  to  kill.  He  was  in  the  full 

229 


230  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

height  of  a  consuming  passion  when  the  vision  of  Nancy  and 
her  child  came  before  him.  His  passion  was  subdued.  His 
calm  reason  regained  its  sway.  Abe  was  himself  again.  He 
promised  the  Japanese  that  after  he  had  consulted  his  wife 
he  would  give  them  a  definite  answer.  When  Abe  arrived  at 
home  that  night  he  found  Nancy  in  a  dimly  lighted  room, 
quietly  rocking  his  little  son,  who  seemed  fretful.  Nancy 
noticed  by  Abe's  demeanor  that  something  unusual  had  hap- 
pened. Motioning  him  to  a  seat  by  her  side  she  asked  what 
was  troubling  him.  Abe  told  her  of  the  offer  made  him  by 
the  envoys  of  Japan  laying  particular  stress  upon  the  com- 
mission, but  he  said,  speaking  as  if  in  a  dream.  "Can  I 
renounce  forever,  the  allegiance  I  owe  my  country  because 
of  personal  wrongs,  because  of  the  crimes  of  murderers; 
can  I  renounce  forever  the  land  that  gave  my  mother  birth, 
the  land  in  which  she  now  lies  buried;  can  I  renounce  for- 
ever, the  land  that  my  fathers  knew,  the  land  which  I  now 
know  as  my  country,  my  home ;  can  I  renounce  forever,  the 
land  of  my  few  friends,  the  land  in  which  they  are  daily 
appearing;  can  I  renounce  forever  th#t  which  I  know,  and 
embark  in  a  foreign  land  in  that  which  is  problematical; 
can  I 1" 

He  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet,  saying : 

"Nancy,  my  mother  appeared  to  me  in  my  thoughts.  She 
held  the  Stars  and  Stripes  proudly  above  her  head  while  her 
other  hand  was  extended  to  me.  My  mother  wills  that  I 
shall  defend  the  flag  of  my  country. ' ' 

Two  days  later  the  Japanese  called  upon  Abe  to  obtain  his 
final  answer.  He  said :  ' '  Gentlemen,  I  have  considered  your 
proposition  very  carefully  and  conclude  that,  although  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  afford  me  little  protection,  although  the 
laws  of  this  land  are  interpreted  against  me,  although  the 
machinery  of  the  law  is  too  weak  to  bring  the  murderers  of 
my  mother  to  justice,  in  spite  of  these  things  and  in  spite  of 


AS    WE    SEE    IT.  231 

attempts  at  every  turn  to  humiliate  me,  in  spite  of  what  may 
seem  strange  to  you,  that  one  part  of  a  nation  can  and  does 
hate  another,  I  must  decline  your  offer.  Will  you  fight  the 
land  of  the  Eising  Sun?  No!  Nor  will  I  fight  the  land  of 
my  birth,  over  which  the  sun  is  now  rising.  I  am  proud  that 
I  am  an  American ! ' ' 

The  Japanese  were  astounded.  They,  like  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  other  people,  American  citizens,  too,  never 
imagined  that  a  Negro's  heart  was  governed  by  the  same 
honorable  impulses  that  other  men's  are;  that  his  soul  is 
alive  to  the  touch  that  stirs  other  men ;  in  short,  that  a  Negro 
is  a  Man. 

Two  weeks  before  Abe's  commencement,  Mr.  Golden- 
heimer  died  very  suddenly.  Abe  was  notified  that  his 
services  as  superintendent  would  be  dispensed  with,  but  that 
he  could  have  the  choice  of  the  care  of  any  one  of  the  flats, 
that  now  numbered  thirteen,  at  seventy-five  dollars  per 
month.  Abe  immediately  severed  all  connections  with  the 
estate.  His  wife,  who  handled  his  finances,  showed  him  de- 
posits to  the  amount  of  twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  and  Abe 
concluded  to  embark  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Abe's  commencement  day  was  June  1st,  18 — .  May  31st 
a  long,  legal  envelope  was  handed  Mrs.  Overley  by  the 
postman.  It  proved  to  contain  a  very  important  document. 
It  appears  that  Leon  DeVaux  had  been  making  yearly  trips 
to  New  York,  and  had  kept  in  close  touch  with  Abe's  prog- 
ress, through  Mr.  Goldenheimer,  and  knew  his  standing  in 
the  college.  DeVaux 's  brother  was  the  head  of  a  large  cor- 
poration that  was  reclaiming  land  in  the  lower  counties  of 
the  State  of  Louisiana,  and  building  a  narrow-gauge  railroad 
to  the  coast.  This  envelope  contained  a  contract  guarantee- 
ing him  employment  for  five  years,  at  twelve  hundred  dollars 
the  first  year,  twenty-four  hundred  dollars  the  second  year, 
three  thousand  dollars  the  third  year  and  thereafter.  His 


232  AS     WE     SEE    IT. 

salary  to  commence  June  1st,  18 — .  It  also  contained  a  draft 
for  five  hundred  dollars.  "When  Abe  came  home  his  little 
son  came  up  to  him  and  handed  him  these  papers.  Abe  paid 
no  attention  to  them,  but  simply  cast  them  upon  the  table, 
and  took  the  boy  in  his  arms,  remarking : 

'  *  Nancy,  is  it  my  turn  to  feed  this  young  wolf  of  yours  ? ' ' 
For  an  answer  the  young  mother  handed  the  papers  to  the 
child,  who  again  handed  them  to  his  father.  Abe's  eye 
caught  sight  of  the  check  which  had  fallen  to  the  floor.  Upon 
examining  it  he  was  amazed  to  find  that  it  was  drawn  by 
Napoleon  DeVaux.  He  hastily  examined  the  contract,  noting 
that  he  was  not  expected  in  New  Orleans  until  the  September 
following. 

1  'Nancy,  you  have  certainly  brought  success  to  me.  'In 
three  years  and  thereafter'  I  will  surely  be  earning  three 
thousand  dollars  per  year.  What  shall  we  do  with  the  four 
months  I  have  on  my  hands  before  September,  when  my 
labors  must  begin?" 

"Let  us  go  to  Oberlin  and  read  up  on  Louisiana  Geology," 
answered  Mrs.  Overley.  "We  can  send  for  your  father 
again;  maybe  he  will  come  to  spend  a  few  months  with  us; 
he  would  not  leave  the  plantation  to  live.  It  seems  queer 
that  he  should  feel  bound  to  stay  on  that  place  with  Mr. 
Overley  until  one  of  them  dies.  Malcolm  is  down  there  now, 
and  they  do  not  need  him. ' ' 

' '  Nancy,  you  do  not  understand  these  old  men.  They  love 
each  other  as  brothers  love.  Neither  would  live  long  without 
the  other.  They  have  known  each  other  and  lived  on  the 
same  place  in  peace  for  seventy-eight  years.  Three-quarters 
of  a  century;  just  think  of  it!  They  must  live  out  the  rest 
of  their  lives  together.  Abe  sent  for  his  father,  who  came  to 
Oberlin  and  spent  two  months  with  him,  promising  to  join 
him  and  his  wife  in  Louisiana  should  be  outlive  Mr.  Overley. 

At  the  end  of  three  years  the  company  began  paying  Abe 


AS    WE     SEE    IT.  233 

three  thousand  dollars  per  year,  he  having  come  up  to  their 
full  expectations. 

We  leave  him  on  his  plantation  in  the  full  enjoyment  of 
home  life,  surrounded  by  his  father  and  growing  family,  his 
wealth  and  usefulness  increasing  as  the  years  speed  by, 
increasing  as  the  wealth  and  usefulness  of  many  Negroes 
before  him,  and  as  the  wealth  and  usefulness  of  many 
Negroes  who  come  after  him  will  increase. 

And  to  a  woman's  love,  a  woman's  implicit  faith  under 
most  peculiar  circumstances,  a  woman's  tenderness, 
Abraham  Overley  gives  all  the  credit  for  his  success  in  life, 
and  when  the  night  is  come,  and  the  boy  kneels  beside  them, 
Abe  whispers  to  his  sweetheart :  c '  God  grant,  Nancy,  that  he 
loves  you  as  I  loved  my  mother. ' ' 


THE    END 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 


50m-l,'69(J5643s8)2373 — 3A,1 


TOREO  AT  N 


I  r 

ntr 


3  2106  00215  2681 


